Harry Potter and the Sword of Gryffindor
by Padfoot345
Summary: Harry Potter is entering the last year of Hogwarts and he is still finding more turths about his life, but the deadliest is yet to come. Will the new discovery cost Harry his life or save it? Filled with mroe hope, destruction, love, hate and the truth.
1. The Lost Potters

Harry Potter and Sword of Gryffindor By: Padfoot345  
  
(This is my version of book seven based on the breath taking work of J.K. Rowling. Yet, alas her great collection ends at the fifth year, so to connect this one to her last; I also wrote a book 6 titled Harry Potter and the Last Black. You might be able to get along without that back ground, but if you really want to understand this one, please read up on it first.)  
  
Chapter One The Lost Potters  
  
"Patrice! Darling! Where in the Lordy be are you?" an aging woman sang as she made her way to the kitchen with over flowing grocery bags.  
"If you find her mother, tell her to lend you a hand," a dashing boy with icy blue eyes and softly messy brown hair.  
"Patrick, stop being a smart ass and help an old woman out!" the woman have gasped and giggled at the same time.  
"If you insist," the boy named Patrick chuckled, relieving the woman of her burden. Patrick was well build, his face was almost flawless and his eyes seemed to match what ever expression was on his face.  
"Coming mother," A girl sang, her rumbling foot steps coming closer.  
"Coming to late Patrice," Patrick joked, starting to unload the bags.  
"If you weren't so damn cute and younger than me, I might resent that," Patrice jeered back, nudging Patrick softly as she began to help. Patrice, like her twin brother had icy blue eyes, the almost stop your heart if you looked deep enough into them. Her voice was soft, but got her firm point across and her hair a lighter shade of brown, cute just below her shoulders, normally dancing freely.  
The door bell rang.  
"I'll get it," Cassidy said, smiling and shaking her head at her children. She had to admit to herself, they were far from children. At 18, they were independent, gitty and rightfully beautiful.  
They were all she brought to America with her after her family died. She was all she had, she knew it and so did they. In 1981 her husband, along with his cousins and sibling fell to the wand of the most powerful dark wizard of the decade.  
By the way, that's what Patrick, Patrice and Cassidy are, witches and wizard. Patrick and Patrice just graduated a week ago from the Salem Witch Craft and Wizarding School up in Massachusetts.  
She stopped in front of the door and pushed back her softly graying hair. Her heart stopped and she felt her eyes roll back. But the sensation rolled over her quickly and she blew it off.  
The door bell rang again.  
Cassidy opened the door. "How may." She started, but she never finished.  
"Cassidy," A man's voice sneered , "So happy to see you my dear."  
"Why, Tom," Cassidy said, her courage strongly returning, the fate memory of a promise coming back to her, "I always hoped it would be me."  
"Keep hoping my sweet. I gave you a chance, but you chose the filthy."  
"Finish that sentence and it will be your last." Cassidy said softly, retrieving and twilling her wand in one motion; it's point at the man's heart.  
"Avada Kedavra!"  
She was too slow.  
"MOM!" Patrick's distance voice screamed. Food went flying to the floor as he and his sister sprang to the hall.  
"Awe, the young master," Tom sneered, "I have no business of killing you or your sister." He stepped over Cassidy's lifeless body, "Right now."  
"Why not kill us?" Patrice cried a few step behind Patrick.  
"Isn't it obvious? Harry Potter?" He sneered again.  
"Patrice." Patrick sighed roughly, holding up an arm to block his sister, "Run! Just Run!"  
Patrice gave one last bug eyes look at her mother and helpless look at her brother and ran.  
"CRCUCIO!"  
Tears were welded in her eyes and she heard her brother fall to the floor and scream into the night.  
She as far as she could before she stumbled. Her shaking hands met the damp grass to brake the fall. She jerk her head over her should to see the black shadows casing her, but no one was, only the sound of her mom's last words and her brother's cries filling the whispers past her ears. She was alone. completely alone.  
Patrice curled up in a fallen shadow of a tree and wept.  
  
Harry woke up crying. His scar did not hurt, but his heart did. He wiped his eyes, restored the glasses to his face and stared at the ceiling. It was so real. Those people looked so real, so familiar. He rolled over and tried to sleep, but he was wide awake somehow. Slowly, he stood up and walked to the door.  
He left Number Four and went to the front yard. The street was silent stricken by the night. He lend against his uncle's business car and looked up. The street lights were dim, some flickering out. There was a blue glow over the world, the one the full moon cased.  
Harry sighed and closed his eyes. It had been a week since he left Hogwarts, and he was home sick the second the car turned the corner. He missed Sirius, and Seri and his friends. Hedwig had flown off yesterday with Hermione a letter and a question: When will you come get me?  
The silence of his thoughts where jogged by the pattering of feet coming to him. He opened his eyes and looked down the street. Little, head headed Mark Evans was panting. He crashed down beside Harry, his eyes streaming.  
"Harry," he cried, whipping his eyes, "They killed her, they killed her!"  
"Kill who?" Harry asked sharply.  
"Their mom, Patrick's and Patrice's mom!" Mark managed to say before falling into his hands.  
Harry studied the 12 year old and titled his head. Patrick and Patrice? "Mark," Harry asked soothingly, extending his arm over Mark's scrawny shoulders, "Did you have a dream?"  
"No," Mark said though tears, "A nightmare."  
Harry looked down at the red head and smiled sadly. Markus Evans looked nothing like Harry's 16 year old self. He had vibrant red hair and a chuckling smile even when it hid in the depths of a frown. He was high spirited and giggly. The only thing that could possibility link Mark to Harry were their eyes, their true brilliant green eyes that shown though a crowd. Images passed through his head and it was almost unbearable for Harry to think all the horrors that hid in his own life were spreading to Mark.  
"Come on Mark," Harry said softly, "You can sleep with me tonight."  
"Like a sleep over?" Mark asked, still looking at the pavement.  
"Like a sleep over," Harry answered, picking Mark to his feet.  
"BRILLANT!" Mark chimed as he skipped into the little house a head of Harry.  
Harry grinned, but something made him spin around. The sky was dark and not a star was in sight. The clouds covered them in a translucent cover only letting the reflection of the full moon cast on Harry. A sudden rush of inferiority came to him. he was so small, so silly, and so insignificant. He was drowning in a world, to small to matter.  
He shuttered, bringing his hands to his arms and looked away from the full casted moon. There was a faint pop.  
Harry narrowed his eyes and stared into the darkness.  
"Harry, what are you doing?" Mark asked, pocking his head out of the door.  
Harry glanced at Mark then back at where the noise came from. No, he was imagining it. "Nothing Mark, come on." Harry gently pushed the 12 year old inside and shut the door with a snap.  
"No, help me Harry." was the whispered the night gave.  
  
The next morning Harry vaguely awoke to the rattling sound of the telephone ringing. He looked up, then down at Mark who was curled up under his right arm, then rolled over and drifted back off the sleep. Harry was fully awoken seconds later.  
  
"HARRY POTTER!" His Aunt screamed.  
Harry jumped from his bed to the floor. His eyes were thrown open and his glasses in his grasp. "What Aunt Petunia?" He asked worriedly. After last summer when his aunt offered her life for his, he grew some kind of moral love and respect for her, even if she was a hatful old bat.  
"HARRY!" She screamed again, "That little friend of yours is missing!"  
His heart sank. Hermione. Ron.. Seri. who? He dashed to the top of the stairs, staring down at the long neck aunt who was standing at the bottom, her face red and the burnet Mrs. Evans was in the doorway, clutching her hand bag. "Mark?" He said questionably.  
"I woke up this morning." Mrs. Evans gave a dry sob into her handkerchief, "I went to wake him up. but. but.his bed was empty and his window was open!"  
"Hi mum," Mark called, his hair matching Harry's norm mess.  
"MARKUS!" Mrs. Evans squealed throwing herself at Mark, "Where did you go?"  
"I couldn't sleep so I spent the night with Harry," Mark said merrily.  
Mrs. Evans's face dropped, "You go on home Markus and have yourself a spot of breakfast."  
Mark gave Harry one last toothy grin and ran down the pavement. "Potter," Mrs. Evans snarled, "Stealing my son from his bed. having me pull my hair out in worry. what a disgrace!"  
"Mrs. Evans," Harry said, holding his hand meekly in front of him in defense, "Mark had a nightmare and found me outside."  
"What were you doing outside?" Aunt Petunia pressed.  
"If you must know I had a bad dream too, and was outside in the."  
"I KNEW IT!" Mrs. Evans proclaimed, "Witch craft. wizardry my ass! He will not go back! I will not let him be around the crazy Dumbledore and the silly little girl! You, Potter are way off limits."  
"Mrs. Evans. come on." Harry pleaded following her out of number four. "Mark fits in. he is magical. you have to."  
"I don't have to do anything!"  
"Mrs. Evans think logically. why punish Mark? He didn't do anything and besides, I don't remember him being so happy before."  
Mrs. Evans stopped to think, "Have that Seri character come talk. I want a word with her." And without another word she stomped off home. Harry wanted to press the subject as it is she gave him no finally decision, but he knew he had won.  
Harry stared after him, sighing slightly. He was the only person in the front yard, probably this part of the neighbor hood because every person rushed inside the second Harry stepped off the steps.  
"Harry.please." a meek whisper said.  
Harry spun around searching for who spoke.  
"HARRY!" His aunt screamed, "Get your ass in this house and get your chores done!"  
He looked at his aunt once then back around the yard. He was imaging things; no one said anything but his aunt. He turned and left for his daily chores. It was because of the morning's events or his Aunts new found reason trust Harry more with her house, but Harry had been working all day; de-weeding his aunt's garden, scaring Dudley by having an intelligent conversation with a snake about the weather, and washing his uncle's car when he got home. It was night fall before Harry got done.  
"Have a nice conversation with the snake today?" Dudley asked as though Harry was crazy.  
"Yes, you know, she was pretty smart." Harry said mischievously, watching the grin fad from Dudley's face.  
"Mum." Dudley said quickly, "Perks invited me over for dinner!" And with that quick announcement he slung his weight out of the door.  
"So popular." Aunt Petunia said from the oven.  
Harry, trying to stack up points with his aunt, picked up a place set and sat it on the counter.  
"Harry, what are doing?" She asked.  
"Um, putting Dudley's place up." Harry answered awkwardly.  
"No, no, no." Aunt Petunia said waving her hand in front of her. "I'm having a guest. I was getting ready to set another place, but since Dudley isn't going to be here." She trailed off into a hum as she dancing about making the salad.  
Harry sighed and replaced the plate at Dudley's seat.  
The phone rang. Harry was about the run and answer it when Uncle Vernon's muffed, "Good Evening," met his ears.  
"What?"  
"Oh My God!"  
"Petunia! Dudley's been attacked!"  
Harry's heart fell. he didn't know why but he knew it had something to with him.  
"We'll be right there Theresa."  
"What happened?" Aunt Petunia said, meeting Vernon as he dropped the receiver.  
"Dudley's been attacked at Perks's." His pudgy face turned to Harry, "You, boy, get you magic twig and hurry."  
Harry, questioning what the hell had happened, flashed his wand to Uncel Vernon who took it as a flag to go. The three raced down the bloke, through number 13's back yard and crashed into Perks's back door.  
"Where is he Theresa?" Aunt Petunia cried as she followed Perks's bony mother into the living room. Dudley was half laying have hanging off of the baby blue couch. His face was pale and frozen.  
"What happened?" Uncle Vernon said from the door way.  
"This girl came in. appeared inside the room!" Perks said excitedly. "She was pretty hot!"  
"Perkins!" Theresa squealed, "She looked awful, her face was red, her hair knotted and she was wearing torn robes."  
Vernon and Petunia both looked at Harry with rash assumptions.  
"What did she do?" Harry asked innocently.  
"Well, she pushed Dudley against the wall and said something." Perks said matter-of-factly.  
"It was Latin," Theresa added.  
"Do something boy," Vernon snarled at Harry.  
"Hell, I don't' know what wrong with him!" Harry said, throwing his arms in the air.  
"Why would anyone hurt my baby!" Aunt Petunia cried into Dudley's lard.  
"You know damn straight it's his fault!" Vernon shouted pointing at Harry, "Now put him right!"  
"I can't!"  
"Harry?" a meek voice said softly.  
"Who said that?" Theresa asked gently looking around.  
"Harry. you have to help me." a girl with tattered light brown hair dancing around her shoulders stood in the door way. She had icy blue eyes and a bloody, strained face. "Harry Potter?"  
"That's me," Harry said smoothly, turning to stare at her.  
"I'm Patrice." She stuttered off.  
"Patrice?!?" Harry almost jumped. "I.you were. what are you doing here?"  
"Harry you aren't save with these muggles." Patrice said more sharply.  
"Put my cousin right," Harry forced.  
Patrice stepped back almost offended, "But the promise of the Potters." She said.  
"What promise?" Harry jarred.  
"The Potters will end the Heirs of Slytherin."  
"What does that have to do with Dudley?"  
The door was knocked open.  
Theresa screamed and fainted into Vernon's open arms.  
"Seri!" Harry screamed excited. "You've come to get me!"  
"Not you Harry," She said softly, "Patrice, you're supposed to be dead." Seri knelt beside Dudley and casted a simple counter-curse on him. "He'll be around soon Petunia. You and Vernon take him home."  
Petunia muttered a thank you, helped Theresa into a chair and walked with Vernon (weighed down by Dudley) out of the house.  
"So, Seri." Patrice said when the door snapped, "Let take this outside."  
"Yes, let's. Harry?" Seri took Harry by the shoulders and led him to follow Petunia out the back.  
"Bye pretty girls!" Perks screamed after them.  
"Patrice, where is Patrick and Cassidy?"  
"Mom died." Patrice said softly. "He killed her."  
"And Patrick?" Harry said strongly.  
Seri and Patrice looked at him in question, but Patrice answered. "Kidnapped."  
"Harry. you have to know." Seri said softly.  
"Know what?"  
"Well, they are they lost Potters."  
"What?" Harry gasped, confused.  
"After Voldemort killed your parents, Kyle's wife and kids ran to the Americas leaving him to follow. He was killed a week later by Death Eaters."  
"So Cassidy was his wife and Patrick and her are his."  
"Children," Patrice answer, her eyes watering madly. 


	2. Hogwarts House

Chapter Two Hogwarts House  
  
"Wait," Harry said slowly, "Let me get this right. Kyle is your mom's." He pointed at Seri with his wand ".brother." Seri nodded ".and you dad." his wand moved to the tattered face of Patrice.  
"Yes Harry," She whispered.  
"I understand that now," He recollected, moving toward Privet Drive, his cousins close behind, "But why attack Dudley."  
"Because the Potter swore to end the Slytherin blood." Patrice said matter of factly.  
"What does that have to do with Dudley?" Harry questioned.  
"Well. umm. Harry." Patrice started, looking at him as though the answer was obvious.  
"Patrice. let's tell him another time, shall we?" Seri said in her motherly fashion. "It is neither the time or place for the discussion."  
"But he has to know Seri!" Patrice screamed into the newly fallen night, he has to!"  
"And he will, but his knowing or not is not a problem right now!" Seri said, he eyes raging. "We need to concentrate on rescuing Patrick right now!"  
"What do you care about Patrick? What do you care about me or Harry?" Patrice whined sharply, stopping and staring at Seri. "You never came to get us. never rescued Harry from those muggles. no, you were the perfect little rich Malfoy. that' how you liked it!"  
"Oh would you stop!" Seri pleaded impatiently. "You have no idea what I went though, the torture, the pain. you were perfectly fine in the free Americas and Harry only went though minor maul feedings! I don't remember you coming to MY aid when I needed you. I don't remember your father or mother sweeping in to save my parents, so don't hand me this bull shit!"  
"SERI!" Harry said loudly, pulling her arm. He was well a few inches teller than her now. He nose was at the top of her head and her eyes dratted up to meet his. They were raging. flaming angry eyes he had never seen before.  
"Seri?" He questioned.  
"Patrice Potter, you shut you face!" Seri wrench, not looking at the blond behind her. I have wasted to many night hunting for you, to many hours worrying and wandering where the hell you are, so don't give me a hard time, I have it hard enough!"  
"Cry me a river Black. You aren't a Potter and my business has nothing to do with you." And with that and evil grinning face of Patrice disappeared in a pop.  
"Holy shit! The little whore!" Seri screamed before she herself disappeared into the night.  
Harry stood there, transfixed on where they stood, he didn't know if that was normal of a family or just Seri. but oddly enough, he smiled. Maybe that's what it's like to have sisters.  
He trudged along the sidewalk toward number four when a scream filled the night air.  
His eyes jerked up and a hovering red smoke lion head was up top number four Privet Drive.  
His blood ran ice cold. his nerves froze up and he ran. His feet moved out of command as fat as they would carry him.  
When Harry got to the front door it was too late. Patrice was pined against the wall under a curse from Seri and Dudley was lying on the floor, life shuck from his fat face. His Aunt Petunia stood against the wall, her fists gripped, but her face was only tight, not angry or sad. Uncle Vernon stood at the head of his son, screaming every curse word a man in a civilized community should know.  
"You fucking little whore! You killed him, you killed my son!" He bellowed, "I'll fucking kill you if it's the last thing I do, I'll rip you hid from bone you hear me? Hide from bone!"  
Patrice and Seri were oblivious from what they were saying, "I should have killed you back there," Seri sneered.  
"You haven't got it in you cousin," Patrice said softly.  
Harry was unhinged, that girl, that smiling girl he saw skipping and joking with her brother had turned ungodly. He never would have thought! Yet, a lot of things he would have never thought would happen till they did.  
Harry stood in the door way, looking at his cousin lying dead on the floor. He tried to move, to speak, but his heart was twisted up. If anyone had ever asked him he would have said he won't care if Dudley died. but standing here in the same room with his dead body. Harry could have cried if hatred hadn't formed inside of him.  
Uncle Vernon was still cursing ever foul word he knew, but Harry had blocked him out. all he saw was the sickening, bloody face of Patrice. All his life his family had been taken away from him. if anything, this was the one place he could count on. Number Four Privet Drive with the three most intolerant relatives ever, but they were always there no matter what happened. It was slowly drifting away.  
In some dramatic struggle, Patrice had thrown Seri into the opposite wall. "AHH!" Seri yelped.  
Harry jerked around; Patrice was standing up, giving the Dursley an evil smile.  
"Is this the pig you married Petunia?" Patrice sneered, "Tut tut." She hissed.  
"Leave my family alone," Aunt Petunia said though gritted teeth and closed eyes.  
"I can't do that Petunia, I cannot." Patrice bent down to pick up her wand.  
And as though this simple action was a sign, Harry regained power over his body. He forgot he was a wizard and threw his wand to the ground, lunged at Patrice and pinned her to the wall by her neck, twisting her wand from her hand.  
"Ha.arr.arry." She gulped.  
"Let her go Harry," he heard a gasping Seri say.  
"I won't!" Harry screamed. "Who the hell do you think you are!?!" He was now in Patrice's face. "Come here act like my long lost sister and kill my family!"  
"They aren't your family," Patrice said meek, her voice box pressed by Harry's grip.  
"They are the only family I ever knew," Harry sneered.  
"Tell him Petunia, tell him the truth!" Patrice tried to scream.  
"Harry, let her go." A hand lay on his shoulder. He wanted to turn around and fall into Seri's shoulder, but he fell into the boney one of his aunt. He hugged her neck and she his middle.  
"It's okay Harry," She said in his ear. Her hand went to his hair and wove itself in affectionately.  
"Harry, Petunia. we better go." Seri called quietly. "The Ministry will be here soon."  
"Petunia," Vernon called loudly, "You aren't going anywhere with these people!"  
Aunt Petunia unwove herself from Harry, wiped her eyes and glared at Vernon. "I think it's about time I did," she said biting her lip and nodding as though she had just convinced herself. "Harry dear, go pack."  
Harry obeyed. There wasn't much to pack he left everything there for Seri and Sirius had promised to come for him. Hedwig was at the Order so there wasn't much. When he and Seri were down stairs Aunt Petunia had a trunk of her own. It was dark green trimmed in sliver with the arms of Slytherin House on top and the initials, PGE on the lock.  
"Where.where did you get this?" Harry staggered.  
"I'll tell you later," Petunia squealed slightly. "Vernon," she turned to her husband.  
"Petunia," Vernon whined, "I love you darling. why are you doing this?"  
"I'm tired of hiding who I am for you! I've had enough of this! Ignoring my past didn't make Lily go away and it kept you closer."  
"So are you leaving me?" Vernon asked bug eyed.  
"Yes, yes, I think so." Petunia pushed her graying hair out of her face, "I'll be around sometime for funeral arrangements."  
She sniffed and her eyes fell to Dudley, "Oh my poor baby," she cried, "My poor Dud!" She straighten his hair and touched his face, "I should have never lied to you, I should have never kept this from you." Her were streaming, she bent down kissed Dudley on the cheek.  
"Petunia, we have to go," Seri said. Petunia fell into Seri's arm and cried. Seri led her out of the house.  
"Patrice take that retched thing off the top of the house," Seri barked.  
"Why? You ashamed of being a Potter?" She shot back.  
"No, only the fact I'm related to one like you!"  
Patrice shorted, but in a flick of her wand the red smoke loin vanished into her wand. She heaved up Petunia trunk and mutter, "stink Slytherins" under her breath and march behind Seri.  
"Excuse me," Harry said worried to provoke another rage in Patrice, but she turned almost sweetly to him in motion to go on. "You went to school in America right?"  
"Yes." She answered simply.  
"Then, um, why would you have a grudge against a Hogwarts House?"  
Patrice stopped and so did Harry. Either Seri didn't noticed or didn't care, for she walked on with Petunia.  
  
"Harry, surly Sirius Angel has told you," Patrice said as sweetly as she could. She had waved her wand and a ruby red cloth hovered in front of her till she grabbed it. Patrice began wiped the blood and dirt from her face.  
Harry couldn't count the reasons not to trust her on all of his fingers and toes. One she didn't even care or try to save her brother, two she had just killed Dudley and three. he met her in a dream. The list went on, but somehow, he standing there in front of him, gently wiping her face, he trusted her, much in the same way he trusted Seri.  
"About the Potters. being heir to Gryffindor." She said after a moment.  
"I know that part," Harry completely as they started to walk again.  
"Then you know the part about Gryffindor swore to end the Slytherin Heir," Patrice said, pocketing her cloth.  
"Yeah, but only I can do that," Harry said grumpily. He was the only person alive who could kill Voldemort and no matter how powerful it made Harry feel, it shrunk him ten times more.  
"What do you mean?"  
"I'm the only one who can kill Volde."  
"ARE YOU CRAZY?!?!" Patrice screamed forcing her hands over his mouth. "DON'T SPEAK HIS NAME!"  
"You have sworn to kill him, but can't say his name. Potters discuss me!" a man sneered.  
"Evans!" Patrice sneered, pushing Harry slightly behind her and placing her wand at ready. Seri was about doing the same for Petunia.  
"Daddy no!" a squeaky voice screamed. Mark Evans came running behind finally falling onto his father's leg. "Daddy no!" He cried again, "Please don't' do this!" 


	3. Trade

Chapter Three Trade  
  
"Get off me Mark," Mr. Evans sneered, throwing tiny Mark away into the bush.  
There was a faint howl of pain.  
"MARK!" Harry tried to break Patrice's barrier.  
"Harry, no!" Patrice hissed.  
"Why would I hurt Harry?" Mr. Evans said nastily. He withdrew a wand from his coat pocket, "Besides getting Yon locked up." He tried off.  
"Go help him Harry," Seri consulted.  
Harry pushed Patrice roughly from him and picked Mark up.  
"No Harry," Mark screamed, "Get away from me! Go!"  
"Mark. I want to help you," Harry said, re-gripping the boy's arm.  
"And I'm trying to help you, now go!"  
Aunt Petunia swept by them and in each arm, gripped and dragged Mark and Harry up the street.  
"Aunt Petunia, I can help." Harry fought.  
"Not for another month and a half." Petunia said sternly.  
"Stupid olf," Seri whined rolling her eyes and picking up Petunia's trunk again.  
"What?" Patrice asked.  
"He's not a wizard. not an once of wizarding blood in him."  
"But he had a wand." Petunia snapped.  
"It's Mark's," Seri said, pulling her hair back up into a stable bun and handed Mark back his wand.  
"Why was dad doing that?"  
Seri shook her head, "Mark go pack, we'll be to collect you later."  
"Why no now?" Mark whined, hugging Harry around the middle, his arm bleeding from elbow the wrist.  
"We have stuff to do," Seri said, looking from Patrice to Harry.  
Harry carried Mark home. He was crying into Harry's shoulder and telling him something he only nodded to because he didn't understand though the muffled ness.  
"What do we have to do?" Harry asked once Mark was inside staring at them though the living room window.  
"Harry, put your robes on," Patrice said to him, but her eyes, were on Seri.  
"I'll be right back," Seri stacked Petunia's trunk on top of Harry's, and closed her eyes.  
Harry pulled the robes over his arms. After 16 year of looking like he grew a lot in a short time, he was filling out. Somehow, with catching his attention, Harry's muscles had toned, his glasses didn't look too big for his face and his hair didn't look so unnatural.  
"Mom talked about you all the time," Patrice was staring at him, watching him tighten the robes around him, his muscles move. "Looks like you need some new robes,"  
It was true. They were tight around his arms and his stomach. Harry gave a boyish grin and nodded.  
There was another pop. And another, and another. Seri had Sirius, Remus, Moody, Charlie and Krum with her.  
"Are we throwing a party?" Sirius asked his eyes falling on Patrice. "HOLY SHIT!" He screamed.  
"Oh my God!" Remus stumbled back, almost tripping on the side of the street.  
"Dad," Seri said, a giggle in her throat as she did, "This is Patrice. Kyle's daughter.  
"Remus stepped forward. He took two fingers and moved Patrice's face to his. "You look just like Cassidy." He said softly.  
"Remus, God damn!" Sirius said, jerking Remus back bedside him. "Let that crush die already."  
Harry smirked, but did no more.  
"Didn't you have a twin?" Moody grunted.  
"Mad Eye, we have to save Patrick," Seri answered.  
"But you said there was a problem with Harry." Charlie said, stepping forward and holding Seri's shoulders.  
"It was the only."  
"Who said there Harry wasn't?" A voice called from the darkness.  
Harry wheeled around, Peter stood there in his face, wand pointed at Sirius.  
"Wormtail, long time no see," Sirius addressed casually as he opened his robes and retrieved a wand. "I wished I'd be the one to kill you." In one sharp movement, Sirius's wand had knocked Peter's down and was in his face.  
"Sirius no!" Remus jumped.  
"Moony, what is wrong with you?" Sirius gasped, knocked Remus away with his free hand.  
Lupin fell to the cold night ground. He stared up at the two best friends. Sirius's eyes were narrowed down on Peter and Peter was twitching slightly, holding his silver hand strongly in a fist.  
"Friendship," Remus breathed softly, "Friendship Padfoot. We denied it once. and look what happened."  
"Shut up Remus! This ends tonight!"  
"No. no it doesn't daddy." Seri whispered, pointing her wand at her father's chest. "Drop the wand Sirius."  
"Baby?" Sirius said, his voice cracking. But he dropped his wand hand to his side.  
"Stupid git," Peter hissed.  
Everyone's wand pointed at him, but Peter slow tucked his away in his chest pocket. "Now, hand over Potter and no one will get hurt."  
"Which Potter?" Seri splat.  
An evil grin grew on Peter's face, "All of them would be nice. but I only want Prong's son."  
"How dare you call him Prongs! How dare you speak of James!" Sirius screamed into the night making number 7's light flash on.  
"Peter, can you not count?" Moody huffed, "There are more of us than you."  
Peter waved his hand to follow and about five more death eaters appeared behind him, Vernon Dursely, Dudley Dursely, Mr. and Mrs. Evans hovering in front of them. One death eater had little Mark Evans wrapped in his arms.  
"Mom! Dad!" He cried though tears.  
"Seri." Harry gasped, clutching her robes. "Let.let.let them take me. Make them give. make them give Mark back." He hissed.  
"Harry, no!" His Aunt hissed.  
"What do you care?" He snapped.  
"Moody?" Seri said, tilting her head to him.  
"That is out of the question!" Sirius belted. "Harry, I'm not letting them take you!"  
"If they give Mark back I'll do anything." Harry nearly cried, "I won't let anyone else in my family be hurt!"  
"But he'll kill you," Patrice smoothed as though Harry was crazy.  
"It's a fifty fifty chance. only Voldemort can kill me." He said plainly. "It might be over tonight Seri." Harry looked into his cousin's eyes. She was grinning slightly and her eyes were watering out of control.  
"What will it be?" Peter snapped.  
"Harry. we won't be long."  
"What are you saying Seri!?!" Sirius gasped.  
"You won't have to wait long," She continued. Without another word she flung herself around Harry's neck and kissed his cheek deeply. "I love you Harry," She whispered.  
Harry closed his eyes to wipe the tear from them. "I love you too," he said back.  
Seri dropped herself from his shoulders and straighten up.  
"Alright Peter," She said strongly.  
"Alright?" Peter questioned. Sirius gasped the same.  
"Give me Mark," Seri urged.  
"Harry no!" Mark cried, but you could tell he was somewhat relieved when Seri picked him up.  
The four dead bodies dropped to the street.  
"You've just made a deed with the devil." Peter sneered. He lunged forward and grabbed Harry's upper arm. Harry tried to fight him off, but before he managed Peter had disappereate with him. 


	4. Family Ties

Chapter Four Family Ties  
  
"Wormtail, I was sure you'd take longer," a voice whipped from the silence. It was cold, cold enough to send the hairs on Harry's neck on end. He finally felt his limps, they were almost dragging along. "Dear Lord!" The voice cried.  
"Didn't think I'd do it did you Bella?" Peter mocked to the darkness. He dug his hand into Harry's pocket and withdrew his wand.  
"Give that back!" Harry lunged, but another pair of arms gripped him.  
"Welcome Harry Potter."  
"Who's that?" Harry asked sternly.  
He got no answer. The hands were cold. Harry was dragged down the hall and thrown into a cage. "The Dark Lord won't be but awhile."  
"Where the hell am I?!?!" Harry scream, throwing him self onto the bars.  
"Calm down Harry, a struggle will only hurt you more."  
Harry pushed away from the bars slowly.  
"What?" He heard three pairs of footsteps walk away. The voice came from his left just past candle light. The bars of another steel cage glistened in the fire light, but the person that belonged to the voice hid in the shadows.  
"I said not to struggle and not to worry," he said again. Harry could tell it was a guy. He slurred on his finally word and faint English accent hid in his words, but it sounded like it had been there only for a small time then faded.  
"Who are you?" Harry asked, resting himself against the bars.  
"You know who I am," the boy said.  
"No I don't," Harry answered chuckling slightly.  
"You look so much like James, but I bet you hear that all the time."  
"You knew my dad?" Harry felt the same jitter inside he felt when he first knew Remus and Sirius knew his father.  
"A little, I was very young when he died. but my mom knew him plenty." The boy chuckled too. "She used to tell us how she 'fell for James Potter before she realized he had such a cute cousin.'" Harry watched the shadows as a pale white hand rose from the darkness and seemed to wave as though Harry would messing with his hair; Harry messed with his own.  
"Wait, I do know you," Harry realized.  
"I thought you did," the boy said sighing greatly.  
"How long have you been here?"  
"Oh, a day or so." He answered.  
"What does Voldemort want?"  
There was no answer.  
"Patrick, I said what does Voldemort want."  
The boy glided into the light. His face was bruised and a cut ran from the right tear docket of his eye to his ear. His lips where purple and pushed together under and slightly hooked nose. "They want us Harry. he wants the Potters."  
Harry stared at him for a moment. Patrick's eyes were nearly dead, frozen over in hatred. "Then why are you still alive?"  
"Balance Harry, balance." Patrick sighed.  
"I don't get it. balance? Balance of what?" Harry enquired pushing himself against the bar closer to Patrick.  
"Did they kill Vernon Dursely, Dudley Dursely, Heather Evans and Alton Evans?" Patrick asked, cuddling back up in his corner of darkness.  
"Yes. how did you know?"  
"And did you trade Peter you for Markus Evans?"  
"Yes but."  
"DAMN YOU! DAMN YOU STRAIGHT TO HELL!" Patrick screamed jumping to his feet.  
"What?"  
"You choose them! You choose Slytherin!" Patrick screamed at him.  
"I did not!" Harry defended regaining his footing. "I choose my family! I choose to go instead of someone I love just like you did for Patrice!"  
"I had no choice. but you did." Patrick growled.  
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!?!"  
Patrick's eyes bugged out and he slumped back down into a heap, "You don't know. you have no idea." He whispered to himself.  
"Know what for god's sake!!!!" Harry fell to the metal floor of the cage with a clink.  
"Harry, the Potters are descends of Gryffindor," Patrice said.  
"I know that damnit!" Harry snapped.  
"And the Evans are married in Slytherin."  
The words slowly sunk into Harry like cold water. It tighten his skin and made his blood run a little slower. his mom. Dudley. his aunt. he never knew.  
"That means. that means. that means I'm both." He looked at Patrick, his eyes blunt.  
"Not anymore," Patrick sighed, "You choose Mark. you choose Slytherin."  
Harry collapsed in the back of the cage. He had. he had and what killed him inside was that he would have done it again even if he knew. He had let Patrice and Patrick done. Seri down. he had let everyone down.  
"Bravo! Bravo Harry!" a high pitch voice echoed from the foyer just out of sight. "I knew you had it in you Harry, well done!" The sound was merry and had a softly tone to it.  
"You," Patrick hissed.  
"Yes. it's me!" A man stepped out of the darkness into the light of the candle. For the first time, Harry took notice to his surroundings. it was like a cave, the walls were brown and dark, the ceiling dripping something Harry hoped was water but was thick like blood. The only light was the candle lit ever one or so on the wall. The man pushed back his hood and Harry's scar jolted. Voldemort.  
"So Harry," Voldemort said, stepping toward his cage.  
Harry looked to a corner praying to regain his strength and stood. His eyes dancing away, but he finally met the cold black eyes of Tom Riddle. "So Tom."  
"Don't call me by my muggle father's name boy," Voldemort barked.  
"Oh, and I bet Voldemort is a much better name."  
"Why I outta," Bella squealed.  
Voldemort held up an arm and she stopped, "Voldemort is a name people fear to even speak. Tom is a worthless muggle!"  
Bella and Peter jumped to the side flabbergasted, "My Lord." Bella said.  
Voldemort hushed them again.  
"No matter what you say Harry." Voldemort said, "You choose me. you choose Slytherin."  
"I choose Mark. I didn't choose anything that resembled anything I ever stepped on!" Harry snapped.  
Voldemort threw and hand and caught Harry's neck. "We shall see who is stepped on by whom."  
Harry winced his eyes in an evil stare. Voldemort tried to star back, but he slowly released Harry. "It makes no matter.. You choose this side of your family. you have chosen Slytherin to live and Gryffindor to die."  
Harry looked away. he had..  
"It shouldn't matter," Patrick said from his corner. "He chose family. and he never choose Gryffindor to die. just Slytherin not to be taken."  
"Shut up Potter." Wormtail ordered.  
"Make me you little traitor!" Peter then lunged at Patrick's words. His arms flew into the bar as they grabbed for him. There was a clink and Peter pushed away from the bars while Patrick lunged and straighten up.  
"WORMTAIL!" Voldemort screamed.  
"Sorry my Lord." Peter said meekly.  
"Come. they will try to come after the boys and we have to be prepared. have you sent notice to everyone?" Voldemort broadcasted, walking away.  
"Yes sir," Peter cried following him. Bella grinned at Harry and marched away, shutting the dungeon door with a snap.  
Harry fell into the bottom of the cage and rocked back and forth. His scar was killing him. his head was spinning. he wanted Seri.  
There clink and a snap.  
"Hurry Harry," Patrick hissed.  
Harry looked up. Patrick was unlocked his cage.  
"Where did you get the key?"  
"Wasn't too hard," Patrick winked. "Okay. our wands. where would they be?"  
Harry jumped out of the cage and looked around the room. "In the book."  
"What?" Patrick huffed, throwing ingredients around.  
"In the book," Harry repeated. He walked over to the book case and ran his finger tips over them. They were dusty and covered with cob webs. "This one." He pulled a book from the case. It was a fat book, one that was a deep hunter green. Harry opened the book to find it wasn't a book but a case. Inside were two wands and one broken one.  
"How did you do that?" Patrick gasped, grabbing his own.  
"I. I don't know." Harry pocketed his own and the broken wand and dusted off the cover.  
"Family Ties." 


	5. Whispers

Chapter Five Whispers  
  
"Harry, quit playing around with that," Patrick hissed.  
Harry raised his eyes to meet Patrick's. He glanced back down at the old bookcase and slammed it back in the book case. That when it happened.  
"What did you do now?" Patrick barked under his breath. He ran to Harry's side and stared as the book case began to move.  
"I think it's a tunnel." Harry whispered.  
"Where do you think it goes?"  
Harry looked at his cousin and there was a great sense of mischief between them. "Never know if we don't take it." Patrick finally announced. Harry grinned and followed him through the tunnel.  
"Are you cold Harry?" Patrick asked. The tunnel had turned dark once the bookcase had closed. They had lit up their wands to guide them along the passage.  
Harry shivered, "No, I'll be fine."  
Patrick nodded and moved on. He wasn't much taller than Harry. His hair was a few shades lighter and a bit more tightly as though Patrick tried to tame the Potter hair. His eyes were an icy blue that almost matched his sister's to a T. "Can I ask you something?"  
Harry's heart skipped a beat. He had been asking Dumbledore and Seri and Sirius that all his life. The sentence felt familiar to his tongue as he had asked it many times, yet his ear strangers. no one ever asked him a question like that. "Err. okay sure." Harry said unsurely.  
"How did you know where our wands were? And what about this passage?"  
Harry felt his vein dry up. "I don't know. I just. a part of me just knew."  
Patrick nodded, "And who's is the other wand; the broken wand?"  
Harry felt inside his breast pocket and touched the pieces of the wand. "I don't know. could be Voldemort's old wand, I mean I'm sure after." Harry trailed off.  
"Harry, don't be afraid of the past." Patrick condoled. "It can only haunt you, not harm you."  
"It's not that I'm scared of that night it's that. I know so little about it." Harry messed with his hair.  
Patrick opened his mouth in the shadows to answer but shut his mouth. Dim light fled into the tunnel.  
"Where could they be?" A voice barked.  
"I don't know my Lord." another answered in a whimper.  
"Find them damn it!"  
"Yes Lord."  
"Damn you Potter! How could this be?!?!?" A door slammed shut above them and the light fled.  
Patrick and Harry had frozen in their spot to listen. They waited a fair few moments till Harry whispered, "How could what be?"  
Patrick looked at Harry and gently shoving him to keep walking. "We must be under the house, my guess we'll come out by the mine a mile or so from the house."  
"How do you know it's a house? And how do you no about the mine?"  
Patrick gave a grin, "Found out over an agreement."  
Harry cocked an eyebrow, but backed down from asking any questions.  
They walked on into the darkness, silent.  
Their footsteps where oddly in-sync with one another and their thoughts far off.  
Till they heard whispers.  
"Did you say something Harry?"  
"No, I thought you said something."  
They stopped and looked around them. Nothing.  
"We couldn't still be under the house could we?" Harry said.  
"We might be." a drop of water hit Patrick square in the eyes.  
"Water? But there wasn't any water earlier." Harry proclaimed.  
"The moat." Patrick whispered.  
"This placed has a moat? What is it, a castle?"  
"Actually, yes it is. it's the Fata Morgana, Morgana's home off Italy." Patrick announced quickly. "How about I raise you up to the ceiling?"  
"Why?" Harry gasp.  
"So you can hear what they're saying dumb ass!" Patrick barked. He knelt down and cupped his hands. Harry looked down at him, sighed and placed his foot in Patrick's cupped hands. "One. Two." Harry gripped Patrick's shoulders, ".three." Patrick straightened up and Harry hit his head on the damp, dirt ceiling.  
"Ouch," Harry hissed.  
"You've been hurt more than that, now stop being a baby and see what you can hear."  
Harry rolled his eyes and arched his head to listen.  
"Would you shut up already daddy?!?" Harry heard.  
"Seri, I just can't believe you let him go. He wouldn't have hurt Evans, he's his flesh and blood."  
"And so is Harry, no hush!"  
"Well, who is it?" Patrick hissed.  
"It's Seri. and Sirius. sounds like more though." Harry whispered back.  
"Angelica Sirius? Sirius Black? But. they're supposed to be dead!"  
Harry chuckled and said they were far from dead how they were arguing.  
"But why are they here?" Patrick asked.  
"To save us."  
"DUMB ASSES!" He said aloud, maybe too loud.  
"What was that?" Harry heard Patrice whisper above him.  
"I dunno, think it's them?" Remus spoke.  
"We should move," Seri said.  
"Look, the draw bridge," Sirius announced.  
"Shit!" Patrice gasped.  
A grinding noise of rusting iron filled over came the whispers. The draw bridge must be opening.  
There was a loud thud.  
"What was that?" Patrick demanded.  
"Shhhh."  
"Maybe we should go in," Remus said.  
"Or maybe we should leave them. If Harry James Potter thinks he can defeat He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named on his own, then let him damn well try." Patrice barked.  
"Would you shut up, Cassidy wouldn't want that. for Harry or Patrick now just put a lid on it." Remus snapped.  
"Come on," said a kinder female voice.  
"Alright, lets listen to Martha. lets go." Sirius sighed.  
"You aren't getting past these doors." A high pitched voice screamed. It was Voldemort.  
"NOOOOOOOOO!" Harry screamed. "RUN AWAY!"  
"HARRY?" Sirius cried.  
Harry lost his balance and tumbled onto the tunnel floor on top of Patrick.  
"Lift me back up," Harry demanded getting to his feet.  
"What good is that? Come on." Patrick grabbed Harry's collar and starting running down the passage. 


	6. Find What's in Common

Chapter Six Find What's in Common  
  
Patrick and Harry raced down to tunnel. Harry could feel his legs pounding and aching, but he ran on, faster, faster, as fast as his legs would carry him. "I. think. I. see. something. there. up ahead." Harry yelled. The end of the tunnel was drawing closer. Yes, there it was, the fresh smell of air; crisp sun light.  
Patrick picked up speed and met Harry's heels.  
They broke the darkness.  
The landscape was flat and lush green. The mine was a clumsy opening in the ground supported but molding slabs of wood. Just out of eyes sight was water separating Fata Morgana from Italian main land. And in front of Harry's green eyes was. aging Fata Morgana its self.  
Patrick took off.  
Harry followed.  
"Patrick.why.don't.you.just.you know. fly there or whatever." Harry was loosing words. stumbling over what to say.  
"Voldemort drained me of that power." Patrick huffed.  
Harry saw it. green light shining against the graying sky behind the castle. His feet grew minds of their own and he ran without another thought in mind but getting there to save Sirius and Seri and Patrice he wouldn't let anybody else in his family die.  
Faster.  
Faster.  
Faster he urged.  
Then his feet picked up and his running was swift.  
He heard Patrick holler from behind, but Harry didn't look he was nearly there, Seri's short rich hair was visible.  
He looked down at his feet but they weren't there anymore. The ground wasn't even close anymore. He was flying.  
The sky was turning gray; the accent about the barrier between the sky and the earth was a tone of blood red. Evil.  
A song gave into Harry's throat and the beautiful song of the phoenix roamed the island. Yelling stopped, flashes of light froze in mid air only to fad and fall soon after. Eyes, evil and loving, fell onto Harry. He flew to Dumbledore and rested on his shoulder.  
"What is this Dumbledore? Calling your pet to help you?" Voldemort sneered.  
"Not at all Tom, my phoenix is red."  
"And what of a green phoenix?"  
Harry's feature gleamed in the light. They were bright green behind his bright green eyes. His beak was gold.  
"A green phoenix is that of Slytherin." Voldemort said slowly. "That phoenix is mine!"  
Harry, startled by the event flew from Dumbledore's shoulder and remained in the air.  
"Harry!" Patrick gasped.  
"Harry Potter?" Peter repeated. "A phoenix?"  
Voldemort's face, if possible, drain any color from it. "What magic is this? What the hell does this mean?"  
"It means exactly what you think it means Tom," Dumbledore consoled.  
In a quick action Patrice and Seri penned Peter and Bella to the floor. The rest of the death eaters, seeing Dumbledore, had fled back in Fata Morgana. "Must we end this now?" Sirius barked.  
"End what Black? Nothing is going to end. you forget, I have no concerned with death! Death is not an option of end for me!" Voldemort sneered. He waved his wand and a flash of blood red light exploded from his wand. A rush of wind swept over them and suddenly they were not on the island. they were sitting right in front of the Ministry of Magic.  
"What happened?" Harry asked.  
Seri, over come in a smile picked Harry up by the arm and dusted him off. "You did a good job Harry, a fine job."  
"Yeah, at nearly getting us killed!" Patrice added.  
"Shut up Trice." Patrick said, rubbing his sister's arm.  
Patrice turned and fell into her brother's arms.  
"You all go back to the Order," Dumbledore said, "I must talk to Fudge about this. have the Order ready. we may be leaving soon."  
With that, Dumbledore stepped into the phone booth.  
"I haven't gotten to say a proper hello Harry," Sirius announced.  
Forgetting his age and his pride or even the small fact that he was clearly an inch taller than Sirius, Harry collapsed into Sirius' out stretched arms. "I hate you," Harry whispered.  
Sirius chuckled and gentle released him, "I know."  
"Do you wanna take him Sirius?" Remus asked.  
Patrice, Patrick and Seri had already disappeared.  
"I'll take Martha."  
"Who?" Harry asked Remus.  
"Martha Patail. the Patail twin's older sister." Remus lifted a limp body in his arms and held it as a mother would a new born child.  
Harry drew a hand to his mouth in awe sorrow. Another one died because of him.  
"Come on Harry," Sirius gripped his arm and they were gone from the lonely street corner in London and then in front of Number 12 Grimmauld Place.  
Harry was home. he finally felt like he was home.  
"Harry?"  
Hermione came running out of the front door.  
"Oh my God, Harry! Mark told us what happened. that was so brave of you!" She threw herself around Harry's neck, plumply landing a kiss on his cheek.  
She had changed. Her hair was straight and dancing around her shoulders. He cloths where tighter and she was taller, a well rounded 17 year old girl.  
"And so dumb." A voice croaked from the door.  
Hermione eased herself off Harry and turned to look; leaning against the frame from Draco Malfoy. His hair was untidy and his eyes narrow and light gray.  
"Shove it Malfoy." Harry hissed, pushing Hermione toward the door.  
"Did little Harry Potter save the fucking day?" Draco mocked.  
"Shut up Draco. I don't want to hear it today!" Hermione snapped. Her pushed passed him sending him stumbling backward into the foyer wall.  
"Spicy today Herm," Draco smiled.  
Hermione rolled her eyes, shoved her hand into Harry's and led him to the kitchen.  
"Draco's been nasty lately." Hermione told him.  
"Isn't he always," Harry chuckled.  
"Well, of course," Hermione blushed slightly which caught Harry off guard; Hermione never blushed. "But there for awhile he was cool, polite even to Ron and his family. Now he's completely unbearable."  
Harry smiled at Hermione, "You know that's just how he is. Smack him in the face and be over with it."  
Hermione sighed and pushed open the kitchen door, the crowd inside fell silent.  
The room must have grown; the table was about as long as the tables in Hogwarts and filled to the max. No one moved except for a little red headed boy who squealed and threw himself around Harry's waist.  
"You stupid, stupid idiot!" Mark cried into Harry's chest. "I hate you," and Mark squeezed harder.  
The room suddenly rustled as people got to their feet as though just noticing "Famous Harry Potter" has entered the room.  
"Come on Harry," someone whispered and a hand guided him and Mark back out of the kitchen.  
"Stupid Evans," Malfoy splat pushing past them into the kitchen. "And ugly Weasley girl."  
"Eat dung Malfoy; come on Harry." Ginny said. Her voice was sweet and Harry almost found himself missing it. "You better go clean up Harry," she said. "Supper should be ready soon and I'm sure the whole Order is ready to hear your story." She patted him on the shoulder and turned back around to enter the kitchen.  
"Mark," Harry whispered, patting Mark on the back, "Was that Ginny?"  
  
"Yes. why?" Mark sniffed.  
"No reason, she just looked different, that's all." Harry started back down the hall where, in replacement to Mrs. Black's portrait was family picture of various Order members and two larger self Portraits was Bill and Percy. And indeed Ginny had looked different. Her hair had changed from fiery red to a soft auburn running down to the middle of her back. Her face was nearly error less beside a faint scar on her left cheek from the Death Eater's battle a few weeks before. She wasn't much taller, still coming right to Harry's nose and her eyes were soft green.  
Harry pushed her from his thought. it was Ron's little sister anyway.  
"Harry, why did you do it?" Mark had pushed himself away from Harry's waist, but was still holding his arm tightly.  
"Do what?"  
"Save me? Why didn't you let Peter have me?" Mark wiped his eyes.  
"What kind of cousin would I be if I didn't save my little cousin?" Harry inquired pushing the boy's dorm door open and going to the bath room.  
"But. but Mrs. Dursley told me about. about how. how we're different." Mark jumped up and sat on the counter.  
Harry let the silence come and he peered into his own reflection. Who was this man staring at him or was he a man t'all? Was he ready to be one? Had the events of his life pushed and pulled him to a climax he was not ready to fulfill? Had his childhood been drained from him by one action to another? Had fate and destiny stretched him from a blind 11 year old to a 17 year old with everything to loose yet nothing to gain? Harry found his reflection unfamiliar and his own eyes cold and empty. What would have happened if.?  
"Harry?" A voice from out side called. Ron popped his head into the bathroom. "You okay mate?" Ron leaned against the door frame.  
Startled, Harry turned on the water and threw it on his face, ridding it of dirt and grime.  
"Fine," Harry said flatly.  
Ron in deed looked older too, even from the few short weeks they had been apart. His hair was longer; falling passed his eyes, his face sharper in features and his height still towering over that of Harry's. But he still had the same boyish grin and the friendly eyes.  
"I ain't falling for it," Ron announced, "Now let me try this again; you okay mate?" Ron had on his new Gryffindor Quidditch robes.  
Harry chuckled, turned off the water and dried his face with his robes. "How the hell am I every time you ask me that?"  
"Not good, in mortal danger. am I anywhere close?" Ron joked.  
"Hit the nail on the head," Harry grinned and Ron pulled him into a friendly hug.  
"It's been lonely here without you mate," Ron announced. "Shit fire Potter, you smell like shit!"  
Harry messed with his hair and grinned, "You don't smell too fancy yourself. At least I have an excuse." Harry pulled off his robes and T- shirt.  
"What have you done to yourself?" Ron asked, taking the muddy clothes from him.  
Harry looked at his chest; it wasn't fine cut but it wasn't pale white either. His body, from quidditch practice and late night training from Seri had transformed his body from that of a boy force possibly too quickly to grow up into a boy right fitted into his body. His muscles hit him right, but maybe it was the bruises Ron was talking about.  
"Them?" Harry asked picking Mark up and sitting him on his feet. "You know me," he chuckled. Some were from Voldemort, some from Remus when he became a werewolf and some newly coming along from the fall he had taken in the tunnel.  
"Yeah them, it looks like shit, must hurt." Ron followed Harry into the dorm where he dug in his trunk for new cloths.  
"Of course it hurts, but pain doesn't issue with me anymore." Harry threw a new shirt and robes at the bed where Mark and Ron had taken a seat.  
"Well, aren't we big and strong Mr. Potter," Ron joked.  
"Leave him alone," Mark whined. "Maybe Mrs. Dursley could fix it; she said she was studying magical remedies before she was expelled.  
Harry, who had pulled the shirt onto his arms, stopped his back and chest still bare. "What? Expelled from where?"  
Mark looked at them bug eyed, "Did you know? She went to Hogwarts for four years."  
Harry stared at him. It made since, all the things she knew, Dumbledore's "Remember my last" it all pieced together and her hate from the magical world. All the things had something in common yet Harry never pieced it together.  
"Ron, Mark, Harry; mum says supper is. HARRY!" Ginny screamed from the door.  
Harry spinned around and Mark and Ron fell off the bed laughing. Ginny covered her eyes and turned around. "Supperisready." She slurred and ran down stairs.  
"Like she's never seen any guy half naked before." Ron managed before falling into a fit of giggles. Harry pulled the shirt on and smiled weakly. "Bill went streaking around the house two summers ago and she never blinked."  
The laughing stopped, Ron straightens up and Harry stopped grinning.  
"I miss Bill," Mark said softly. 


	7. The Moment

Chapter Seven The Moment  
  
The room was filled with laughter. The Order had been excellently organized. Number 12 Grimmauld Place was Head quarters and the smaller Orders from other nations was stationed at their Ministries; which all where all too open to the idea. But the only nation not opened to the Order was that of England. Fudge, which was now a definition of a mess, would not accept an "organization" of any kind that slipped under his nose and worked without his knowledge even if they were right when he was in denial.  
In other words, he didn't want a nation remembrance of his past wrongs.  
The kitchen only held the members of the Order of the Phoenix and some Order leaders of other nations. Seri was given full credit for the organization of the Orders.  
"Okay Potter," Moody said over the rumble of conversations, which died at his tone, "Shit, I can't do that any more. we have three Potters here."  
Patrick nudged Seri who smiled at him.  
"Harry, Patrick. mind telling us what happened?" Mr. Weasley asked. His hands were white, but gripping those of Mrs. Weasley. Her face was red from old tears that didn't seem to drain.  
Patrick went into full detail and Harry let him. He didn't want to fame, let someone else capture the moment, yet the whole time Mark was squeezing his hand and looking at him with these lonely puppy dog eyes.  
Aunt Petunia had found her way to the table, sitting beside Mr. Weasley and Jessica Flowers. She had been crying and it was evident on her face. But her eyes managed to stare into Harry's.  
Their meal was interrupted by Dumbledore who blasted into the kitchen. For the first time, Harry saw Dumbledore less than perfect looking. His grey-white bread was thin and wet, his half moon shaped specials had rain drop about them and his face was confused between fearful and smiling.  
"What happened Albus?" Moody asked.  
Dumbledore looked at him then at Mr. Weasley and grinned a true boyish grin. "I went to tell Fudge about Voldemort's where abouts. he ignored me. And now Voldemort is gone."  
"And your smiling because."Jessica Flowers pressed.  
Dumbledore straighten up and looked around the room. "Fudge in is questioning by the Ministry. He may be fired by Sunday in time for high tea."  
There was silence.  
"Is that good?" Draco asked.  
"Very good; half the committee who will examine is in or supports the Order. They will decide who the new Minister is and it could be in our favor." Charlie said. His face was still bright and his hand (under the table) was holding Seri's. She smiled at him before Patrice said something Harry couldn't hear, but knew it was nasty when Patrick elbowed her roughly.  
"So the Minister could be in the Order?" Mrs. Weasley said.  
"Or in support of. It seems the rest of London knows how serious this is even though it had escaped Fudge's attention." Remus said.  
"Well, it has been a long day," Dumbledore announced, taking a roll from Hermione plate, "Shall we call it a night?"  
The room agreed and migrated to their dorms.  
  
"Harry." Ron groaned in his sleep.  
"Yeah," Harry yawned.  
"Do you think you could." Ron paused to roll over, ".do a Wronski Feint?"  
"What?" Harry hissed sitting up.  
Mr. Weasley shhhh'ed them and hissed to get to sleep.  
"What?" Harry hissed softer.  
"A Wronski Feint. like Krum did," Ron said, still snuggled up in covers. "Huh." Krum moaned, rolling over a few bed away at his name.  
"Why?"  
"For quidditch." Ron pressed his voice more awake.  
"Why are you thinking about his?"  
"Quidditch captain Harry, I'm Quidditch captain. I'm thinking of plays."  
Harry groaned and put the pillow over his head as Ron went on telling him about plays and Fred or George would chuckle to every now and then.  
  
"Did you sleep okay Harry?" George chimed when Harry entered the kitchen.  
Harry cocked his head and forced a quick smile. Some how he had managed to cut some of Dudley's t-shirt from when he was six into make shift tank tops. It was either the smile or his "tank top" that made Hermione giggle. "Who pissed in you wheaties?" Harry said, grabbing a bowl of oatmeal and sitting down beside her.  
"Did you get the talk?" Hermione asked, still giggling.  
"Yeah, in like the 5th grade." Harry splat.  
At this Draco Malfoy fell into his arms chuckling softly. "Buzz off," Harry hissed. Draco quit laughing and left the room.  
Hermione gave him a looked but went on, "Did Ron talk all night about Quidditch?"  
"Oh, is that what he was talking about?" Fred asked.  
"I couldn't tell, could you Harry?" George went on. The twins blasted into minor jokes among themselves as they stood and left for work.  
"Don't feel bad about it Harry," Hermione said, picking up her plate and the twins. "It's a new joke. Ron hasn't shut up about Quidditch all holiday break. Nearly scared the Egyptian member to death."  
"Glorious morning isn't it?" Ron came strutting into the room.  
"If you say so," Harry yawned and messed with his hair.  
"Didn't sleep good mate?" Ron asked.  
Harry looked at him with disbelieve and looked at Hermione who was giggling softly while she cleaned plate.  
"I slept wonderful," Harry said, shoving a spoonful of oatmeal in his mouth to stop him from saying more.  
And the day went on. Harry always though Wood was obsessed with Quidditch but Ron was horrible! He wore his quidditch robes and his captain badge around the house. Charlie had given him his old, silver whistle and an old clip board with a model of a quidditch field on it. Ron would chase down various people showing off new plays and tactics.  
"You know, he does remind me of Oliver," Charlie hissed, "The boy would never sit down and think about whether or not the move would work, just had to show someone."  
Harry had found an old book and was sitting in the living room when rushing footsteps came clunking down the stairs. Harry peered over the book just in time to see Ron's red hair. "Harry, I just thought of something!"  
Harry shut the book and dashed to the connecting room, softly shutting the door. He leaned his ear against the door hearing Ron sigh and leave.  
"Dear Lord!"  
Harry spinned around; Ginny was sitting on the couch, pouring over a notebook. "Sorry Gin," Harry said, messing with his hair.  
"Do you do that when you're nervous?" Ginny asked.  
Harry put his hands in his pocket. "What are you doing in here?"  
"I was about to ask the same," Ginny smiled.  
"Ron's been down my neck all afternoon about those Quidditch plays. I might just ring Katie's neck next time I see her." Harry moved his hands in the arm like he was choking someone. "So what are you doing?"  
Harry walked over and sat down on the total opposite side of the couch from Ginny.  
"Writing," she answered softly.  
"Writing." Harry repeated, "Can I read something?"  
"A book maybe?" Ginny teased.  
"Something you wrote."  
"Ah, you see the problem with that is." Ginny brushed her hair off her shoulders, "Last time you read something I wrote you ran down the hall, your face redder than hell."  
Harry touched his throat in a fake hurt motion, "I never!" He squeaked.  
"Oh yes you did! Your 2nd year; 'His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad; His hair is as dark as a black board.; I wish he was mine, he's really divine; The hero who conquered the Dark Lord.' I cried for a week." Ginny recited, "And spent a week writing it." She giggled heavenly.  
Harry covered his mouth, a harsh chuckle exiting his throat. "Sorry Gin," He gasped.  
"It's alright," Ginny whispered. She began to write again.  
"What do you write about?"  
"Life, love, things that happen, Bill, Percy. anything I'm thinking about."  
"Can I read something? Please?" Harry puckered out his lower lip and folded his hands over one another in prayer.  
Ginny titled her head and gave a half grin, "No laughing or anything bad to say?"  
"Scouts Honor!" Harry announced.  
Ginny threw the book at him. Harry caught it and scooted closer to her.  
"Hem, hem."  
"You sound like Umbridge," Ginny giggled.  
"Oh shut up," Harry snapped playfully.  
"On an edge of a knife it stand," Harry read.  
"Please, don't' read aloud." Ginny covered her ears, "Makes me feel like your mocking me."  
Harry nodded.  
  
"On an edge of a knife it stands  
Sharp and shining it stabs  
Leaking the assents of live from his veins  
Absorbing whatever it can grab.  
  
Standing on the edge of a knife  
Is everything I hold dear  
His life, his voice, his everything  
Is to result nowhere.  
  
On the edge on a knife is him  
The edge cuts him and pains him  
But the fall off is death  
The edge of the knife is grim.  
  
On an edge of a knife if hope  
The hope that no one else shall die  
The reality that much more will  
The touch of the edge of the knife is to cry."  
  
"Gin." Harry said softly.  
Ginny looked at him, her eyes closed and tears rolling down her cheek.  
"Ginny, it's beautiful." Harry whispered. He moved closer and handed her back the notebook. She opened her eyes and went to pick it up. Their hands touched.  
"Shhh, Seri." Some whispered from outside.  
Ginny whipped her eyes, and grabbed Harry's hand. They hid in the broom closet, the door slightly open.  
"Is anyone in here?" Charlie said softly. "Okay, come here Seri." He pulled his other hand into the room, Seri attached.  
He backed up to the couch and sat Seri down on it.  
"What is this about Charlie?" Seri asked.  
"I can't watch," Ginny hissed, covering her eyes, "Too sappy," she peeked through her fingers. "But it's so romantic."  
"Girls," Harry rolled his eyes, peering though the crack.  
"I love you Seri," Charlie said softly.  
"I love you too Charlie, but what." Charlie pulled her closer to him and kissed her.  
"Now that I can't watch," Harry said, looking away.  
"Oh come on, it's sweet. Like something right out of a book." Ginny moved closer to see.  
"Ginny, this is spying." Harry hissed.  
"There are about 100 people coming through this house unannounced, they can't do this and not except to be spied on.  
Harry peeped back through the crack. Seri forced her hands on Charlie's shoulder and pushed him away. "What's going on?" She asked.  
Charlie grinned, kissed her cheek and said, "I just wanted you to know how much I loved you."  
"Awe," Ginny hissed.  
"I love you too," Seri said, touching his cheek.  
"Do you really?" Charlie asked.  
"Yes, really truly."  
"Do you love me enough to." Charlie stopped mid sentence and stood up.  
"What is it?" Seri took Charlie's out stretched hand and stood.  
"Do you love me enough to." Charlie repeated. He bent down on one knee.  
Seri put her hands to her mouth and a tear streamed down her cheek.  
"Oh my God!" Ginny whispered, clenching Harry's arm.  
"What?" Harry hissed, trying to get a better look. He had no idea what was going on.  
"To what, Charlie?" Seri said, now crying fluently.  
"Sirius Angelica Potter Black, will you marry me?" Charlie handed her a small velvet box.  
Seri took the box and open it. Harry saw something gleam. But mostly he just gasped. Seri married?  
She shut it quickly and looked at him, "Are you sure?"  
Charlie chuckled and stood up.  
"I mean are you really sure?"  
He opened the box back up and pushed the ring on Seri's finger. "I've never been more sure in my life."  
Seri wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.  
Charlie leaned back. "I guess that's a yes," Seri giggle, smiling and crying too hard to answer.  
"Oh, they're getting married!" Ginny hissed trying to dance in the closet. She tripped on something and stumbled falling right into Harry's arms. Ginny began to laugh loudly, but Harry put his hand over her mouth. The smile faded from her face, but the residue of the laugh remained.  
Harry slowly removed his hand and stared at her, she stared back.  
And Harry did something he never thought he'd ever do; at least to all people of Ginny Weasley.  
How was he ever going to explain to Ron that he had kissed Ginny? 


	8. Aunt Petunia's Chest

Chapter Eight Aunt Petunia's Chest  
  
"Harry, daddy," Seri said. She had rounded them up about an hour later and sat them on Sirius' old Gryffindor bed. "I'm. I'm getting married."  
Harry who already knew this tried to look thunderstruck of Sirius, but he mostly smiled. He saw the joy in Seri's eyes when Charlie bent down, he heard her asking rash question in denial it was even happening and he saw the look upon Seri's face now. She was in love.  
"Married?!?" Sirius croaked. "Too who?"  
Seri giggled and showed Sirius the ring. It wasn't huge like the one Aunt Petunia wore on her bone hand, but it was bigger than the one Seri wore of her mother's. It was a thick, gold band with three studded diamonds on it, the middle one two times bigger than the other two.  
Sirius looked from the ring to Seri's face, "WHO?"  
"Charlie daddy," Seri said, admiring her own ring.  
"Charlie Weasley?!?! The boy can't even tie his shoes without magic!"  
Seri dropped her hand and looked at her father.  
"You deserve better Seri, that's all!" Sirius added.  
"How can you say that?" Seri asked. Her eyes where streaming.  
"Oh don't ask me that, love can't support a family. I know!" Sirius stood up and began passing. "Why if your mum and I were that naïve we would have been married straight out of Hogwarts!"  
Seri covered her face with her hands than looked up. She bit her lower lip and took a breath. Harry touched her shoulder and she shrugged him off.  
"I." she nodded, "I know what this is about."  
"How could you?" Sirius barked.  
"It's about mum."  
"Of course it is. isn't."  
"It's about mum. yes it is! You were too fucking scared to ask her to marry you. didn't want."  
"I didn't want her go shopping with the stupid Slytherin Lillian Evans while Lily flaunted the HUGE ring Potter got her! I didn't want her being unstable, I didn't want." Sirius softened his voice and his eyes fell not on Seri but on Harry. "Harry, I'm."  
"Don't." Harry said shortly. "I don't want to be dragged into this, but you could have just said something. Now I know why you came after Peter for revenge instead of me." Harry shook his head. "You weren't after him for what he did for my parents; you were after him for what he did to you!"  
"Harry." Seri said softly.  
"You finally got enough balls to ask Angelica to marry you and he took her away. "  
"It's not like that Harry," Sirius said, "I love your parents and Angelica. I just didn't want him to hurt you. Harry, Harry wait!" Sirius followed Harry out the door and watched him walk down the stairs. "Harry." he screamed. His voice softened, "I'm sorry fro so many things." He hit the wall with his fist. "I just didn't want to lose you like I lost everyone else. please." He hollowed.  
Harry stopped at the middle of the steps. His hand gripped the railing so hard that the blood was running to the surface. Sirius. the one person he always found family in, the one connection between his parents. How could he have lied all these years? Sirius hadn't come to Hogwarts to stop Peter from killing him. nor to avenge his best friend's and his wife's death. No, Sirius came to get even with Peter for taking away something he just found he had. Harry doubt if the reasoning of the matter have a bearing but it somehow ate Harry up inside. Or maybe it was the newly rising fact, deep in his soul that he shouldn't even be born.  
Harry, in those few seconds standing on the stairs felt himself pulled between two worlds. The world, the state, he once knew at Privet Drive, a boy with broken glasses, messy hair and baggy clothes. He thought his life was awful then; underfed, poorly dressed, being Dudley's punching bag. Even if things weren't perfect, Harry didn't know anything. He was happy believing his parents died in a car crash, that he should have been born and that an evil wizard was not out to kill him. And in the other state he knew everything. which summed up to him not being alive. The thought shuttered him. It broke his core.  
"Harry," Seri whispered. She was at the top of the steps looking down at him. "Daddy doesn't mean what he says," she coed. "He. he is just kinda jealous about. about Charlie. Daddy didn't want my mum having to be shameful and he couldn't understand how mum wasn't the least bit shameful." Harry loosened his grip. "He is just mad. the whole affair is bring back bad memories."  
Harry turned and flew into her arms. She patted his hair with mild affection.  
"Yes, it has brought back memories." Harry and Seri parted. Aunt Petunia was seen pushing the old trunk out of a closet. She sat on it and stared at Harry. "What troubles him Seri?"  
Seri looked at her hands and answered, "His parents."  
"Awe, as I thought." Aunt Petunia was obviously trying to be compassionate, but her crude voice was sharp and about as comforting as a porcupine.  
"Harry, I think it's about time I told you the."  
"Truth. yeah, yeah, yeah," Harry said stepping toward her. He messed with his hair. "Don't try and ease your way into this okay," He added flatly. "Just tell me what I need to know a scuzz off."  
Aunt Petunia lowered her eyebrows, but picked up one end of the trunk and Harry the other.  
"Best place would be mom's living room." Seri called after them as Harry led the way down the stairs.  
Harry was walking backwards and his Aunt watching her feet carefully. Seri was staring down at them and Sirius came behind her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. "How will he take it sweetie?"  
"Not good daddy, not good."  
  
"Come on Harry," Aunt Petunia said closing the drawing room door behind her. Harry picked up the chest and sat in front of the well tended fire.  
"That fire wasn't here earlier." Petunia announced.  
"Kreacher Probably did it," Harry waved his hand.  
"Did Mr. Harry Potter summon Kreacher?" The house elf appeared out of no where. Aunt Petunia squealed.  
"BE GONE YOU BEAST!"  
"Calm down Mistress Petunia Evans." Kreacher said, backing up, hand up in defense.  
"It's alright Kreacher. just make sure no one bothers us, okay?" Harry smoothed.  
"Yes, Master Harry Potter. I is most thankful to you." Kreacher hugged Harry's leg and vanished.  
"Strange creature," Petunia hissed. She took a seat on the floor next to the trunk.  
"Harry?" She whispered, patting the floor next to her.  
Harry sighed and sat where her hand was.  
"I just had to tell you that." She started.  
"If you don't mind, just tell me what you have to tell me. I've heard it all."  
Petunia looked at him thunderstruck, but did as she was told and didn't finish her sentence. She put a rusted pure gold key into the silver lock.  
She took an old dust rag and cleaned the top. The casing on the corners looked to be silver with gold trim. Harry eased forward to see what was inside.  
His aunt sigh and threw open the top. A storm of dust came at them.  
"Stupid stuff!" Petunia screamed beating the insides with the rag.  
"Stop. stop. Aunt Petunia.it's stop." Harry said grabbing her wrists.  
"Oh, right," She sighed. "Well, if you wouldn't like to be told look." She heaved another sigh, stood and sat on the couch watching Harry intently.  
Harry looked at her, but eased over and went through the trunk.  
It was about the same size as the one he had only it was deep green and his was a ruby red. There were small robes black robes with the Slytherin House's embroidered on the chest. Most be a Malfoy's, Harry thought.  
He pushed the robes to the side and with drew some books. Healing for the 20th century.Magical Beauty, It's Magic. Beyond that was a shoe box, much like Harry had of all his letters in his trunk. He pulled the rubber band off the top and read some of the notes.  
  
"Meet me out side the Trophy Room at Mid-night. Vernon."  
  
"Maybe she won't get in Pet, maybe she's not as good as you. Vernon."  
  
"That's great news Petunia! Lily got in! Why are you worried? If the rumors about your family are true, Lily is a shoe in for Slytherin. But, we could do something to be positive. Meet me outside the third empty room on the third floor before you go to the feast. McGonagall (the new Transformation teacher) will be bring the Sorting Hat down for the first years. We'll sneak into Dippit's office before she gets it. Jinx it to put Lily in Slytherin house. Love, Vernon."  
  
"You. and Uncle Vernon. Hogwarts?" Harry gasped.  
His Aunt looked at him. "I wasn't going to say anything remember."  
Harry, fuming by his Aunts answer went on threw the notes. More out meeting, more about Lily.  
  
"Dear Petunia, I'm so sorry about everything. About Lily, about your parents, about that new secondary school, about being expelled. It's my entire fault and I know you must hate me. it was my idea and I just wanted you to be happy. But, even after five years. I still think about you every two seconds. you're the last face to blur out of my mind before I go to sleep and the first to return in the morning. I can't go on through life thinking you hate me when I love you so. I can't take you not returning word or ignoring my very existence. Please, I beg of you.write me back and at least tell me you forgive me if nothing else. Love, Vernon."  
  
Harry reread the letter. who knew his uncle could be so sweet.  
At the bottom of the stack was a journal. The first pages were folded over. daily routines. ones of a silly school's girl crushes and dislikes. But one page was written in blood red.  
  
"September 3rd, I hate Vernon Dursely! It all started with perfect, snobby Lillian got her letter to Hogwarts. I was so excited. my little sister would be going to my school! But I worried that she wouldn't get into my house, so I owled my boyfriend Vernon about this. He was so sweet, said that everything would be okay, that he had an idea. So two days ago I met him outside the head Master's office. We were going to jinx the hat into putting Lily in Slytherin with us. When we got into the office we found out that Professor Dippit had died over the break and that this new one, Dumbledore, had stepped in. Of course because of the feast, he wasn't there, but his stupid phoenix was. We didn't realize that in time though. Vernon found the hat and pulled it off the shelf. I held it while he cleared his throat to jinx it. But noo.. That stupid bird swooped down and picked up the hat in her beak. The hat woke up and started screaming, I was holding onto the brim trying to get the bird off of it. Dumbledore heard the noise and came bashing into the room. Fawks, the stupid bird, flew to his shoulder. And since I was pulling so hard against the bird and now I wasn't I lost balance and fell into the book shelve. This stupid sword fell from the top. I put my hands (and the hat) over my head and the sword disappeared. Dumbledore said it was the very sword Godic Gryffindor wore at his hip. Who cares.Gryffindor is full of snobs, like that whole Potter crew. They strut around the school thinking they are better than everyone. PST! So, Vernon and I got expelled for our little theatrical. It's not like that was our first strike either. We've gotten in trouble loads of times, sneaking out after hours, laying traps for the stupid Kyle Potter and Cassidy Hagan lover session. I swear, their romance is so weird you can turn it off and on like a light switch! And to top off getting expelled, hating Vernon now and forever, getting sent to a muggle secondary school and pissing off my parents till the break of day Lily. perfect daughter Lily got put in Slytherin. It seems because Vernon had already said her name and the swore of Gryffindor fell in the hat that instead of Slytherin she landed Gryffindor. I hate her! Although I'm proud to see she hates the youngest Potter boy, she still runs around with the Potter girl. I think we messed up the hat completely because to Dark Family of the Black lost their eldest son Sirius to Gryffindor. That'll teach me. But so I'll go on, my parents raving about Lily and her new house and her new friends, bragging to everyone about Lily. I'm dead to them!"  
  
"You got expelled?" Harry gasped.  
"Read," Petunia barked. Her face had fallen, staring at her hands, shaking.  
Harry flipped the pages.  
  
"October 13 I'm scared. If I haven't done anything right in my life, why did I have to go this wrong.? I've promised that my hate for Vernon Dursely would live forever. but here I am at 25 and I've screwed up. Every year, on routine, he sends me a letter telling me how sorry he is like I haven't forgiven him. I have. I forgave him a long time ago, but I want to keep the distance. I've burned almost every letter except. I've always been scared there was something there between us and after how much trouble it got us in when we were only 13. Now I have proof that us together is trouble waiting to happen. So, he wrote me the other day, and I somehow forced myself to read it. I wrote back and before I knew it we were at the restaurant, in his car. in the back seat. I don't know what happened, even now. dear lord I think I'm pregnant. It really wouldn't be that bad, I mean I could live with myself except I had to wear the stupid cream bride's maid dress at Lily's wedding. She married a stupid, rich Potter who can give her anything and everything she wants. Now, I can't even compare to her. a child out of wed lock?"  
  
Harry looked at the diary then to her.  
"Next page Harry. read it aloud would you?" Petunia said, whipping her face with her shaking hands.  
"November 1," Harry read, "I've longed for it since I could ever remember. I always wanted to one up on Lillian Evans. She was pretty; I was ugly, she was smart; I got expelled, she got married to James; I had to marry my baby's daddy. Lily has always been that perfect girl, the one I live in the shadow is and I've always wanted the problem to go away, disappear. It has. Lily and her husband were murdered yesterday. I know I should be singing and dancing around but my heart aches. I hold her child with his beautiful black hair just like James', I look at his eyes and they're like Lily's and then that scar. It's so fresh, so new to pain. It will be on him forever, the beginning of a world of pain. Then there is Dudley, my child. Kicking and screaming in his high chair, well knowing new and expensive diapers and toys crying because his food isn't warm. How can these two be related? One has been through more as a baby a sits still, staring at you with bright eyes and the one who knows nothing but what he wants sits crying as though being murders. How can I think that? Think that Lily's child is better than mine? I better watch it, I can't fall in love with her kid; I can't favor him over mine. I've always been better than Lily and my son next to her's is the same!" Harry stopped and looked at her. She was crying into her hands. "Aunt Petunia?"  
"Shut up Harry. Please." She went on crying. 


	9. Ally

Chapter Nine Ally  
  
"Harry," a voice called in the darkness. "Harry wake up!" The sound was urgent and this time a harsh punch in the arm went with the command. The night before was a blur. Ginny, Seri and Aunt Petunia swirled into one big mess. "Harry James Potter!" the voice hissed.  
"What?" Harry yawned. He thought it was Ron, but he was happily talking in his sleep with two pillows around his face; his muffled plans being heard in the silence. Harry rolled over to look on the other side of the bed; Hermione. Her now straight hair was pulled up at the nap of her neck and her robes where thrown over her night-ies loosely.  
"You damn straight know what!" Her voice was mounting.  
"No, I don't. Would you mind telling me so I can go back to bed." Harry moaned.  
"You kissed Ginny!" Hermione squealed impatiently.  
Harry's eyes shot open and in one motion he rolled back over, put his hand over Hermione's mouth and force her on the floor, him rolling off the bed on top of her.  
"Hermione, are you not concerned with my health?" Harry hissed, pressing his hand harder into her face. Her tiny hands grabbing his wrist. "We are in a room with her father and four older brothers!"  
Hermione licked Harry's hand and he with drew it quickly, "Hermione, yuck!" He wiped his hand on his robes.  
"Idiot!" Hermione shook her head, "Come on, we have to talk."  
Harry, looked at her. Hermione had never been so. human he guessed. She might have dragged on him for not doing homework or missing a page of notes, but never something so non-school. "Sure." He whispered.  
"Well, because we are in such an odd position you have to move first." Hermione half giggled.  
"Oh, yeah right." Harry lifted himself easily and stood up, helping Hermione up.  
"Where to?" Harry asked.  
"Shut up and follow me." Hermione led him down stairs and into the kitchen, where she started to make a pot of tea. "Tell me what happened."  
Harry looked at her. "This isn't really the thing you tell a girl Hermione."  
"But it is something you tell a best friend. unless you rather me fetch Ron, you're going to talk to me so I may talk you out of it." Hermione said, her back to Harry.  
"Well, I very well can't talk to someone's hind end." Harry chuckled.  
Hermione spinned around, hands on counter and stared at him. "Now talk."  
"What about?"  
"Harry Potter, why are you doing this to me?" Hermione placed the cups and pot of tea down on the table where she poured herself a cup.  
"News flash in case you haven't read the book, this isn't how you start conversations." Harry gave a dashing grin then the thought popped in his head; conversations. they were never good with Harry, everyone bringing bad news, his most recent changing everything he thought he knew. Harry messed with his hair and propped his hands on the table, grabbing his hair.  
"Harry?" Hermione said softly, "This isn't about Ginny is it?"  
Harry tried not to sound stuffed up, but he did. He nodded.  
Hermione whipped her eyes, "And here I am preaching to you about a silly kiss."  
"Don't worry about it." Harry said, patting her hand.  
"Tell me." Hermione pleaded, "Just this once, let me help."  
"You can't and I don't want you to try." Harry said, pushing his hair back out of his face.  
"Then let me help," said a voice from the door.  
"Draco?" Hermione gasped, whipping her face and pushing back her own hair.  
"I heard you and Harry leave the dorm," Draco said, pushing his hands in his pockets. "I thought it might be interesting to spy on a little snogging session between Herms and Potter, but."  
Harry scooted over, no he yelled at himself. you hate Malfoy, he's a jerk, his making fun of you, his evil, he can't help! But then again maybe he can. "Sit down Draco."  
Malfoy looked at Harry with shock as did Hermione, but he sat down next to Harry while Hermione nearly spilt her tea.  
"But what Malfoy?" Hermione snapped.  
Draco looked at Hermione and looked down as though ashamed. "I was just listening to you and watching you and it made me think. my friends would have never done anywhere as close to as much as you and Weasley do for Potter. My friends would have bailed as soon as something bad acted like it was going to happen. Look what happened when my fathered died! They are no where to be seen!"  
"Oh Draco." Hermione sighed.  
"I just never realized how close you and Potter where. I though Potter did all the bull shit by himself. I never knew it could be so hard. I never really knew." Draco rewrapped his hands around one another and sighed, "I want to help Potter. I want to do something."  
"I don't think so, how can we trust you?" Hermione snapped.  
"Alright," Harry said, not looking at Hermione or Draco. "I guess I need to tell you everything."  
"Everything?" Draco questioned.  
"There is a lot to know. some Hermione doesn't even know yet. some I don't know."  
Harry went on telling Draco every shred of everything. Hermione had a napkin and was twisting probably thinking that it wasn't good to tell Draco Malfoy such things. Everyone in Hogwarts would know before the Welcome back feast was over, the whole Dark Order might know before the next day. And Harry was telling himself this too, but something inside Draco's cold gray eyes told him to trust him. like he had to.  
  
"Harry I just don't understand it!" Hermione said when Harry was finished. She was working on her sixth cup of tea which seemed to be stone cold. Draco was sitting a fair space away from Harry, his face white and his hands shaking. "I mean why wouldn't anyone tell you that you were Gryffindor's heir?"  
"Because it gave reason to why Voldemort chose me instead on Neville, I guess." Harry said softly, shrugging. He never liked this part. he thought that as soon as he finished saying whatever he had to say, that was it. but there were always questions.  
"And why not that you were Slytherin's heir?" Draco mouthed almost unheard.  
"Who wants to hear that they are Slytherin's heir!" Hermione sighed. "Honestly!"  
Draco shook his head, "No there has to be more. Harry's mum was a mud. I mean muggle born."  
"Well, maybe not." Harry corrected. "My aunt was a witch too."  
"Stay quick Harry," Draco snapped, "Look at the Creevey brothers; both their parents are muggles and they both go to Hogwarts. It's actually rare for only one sibling to be magical and the other muggle. Same with squibs, but after you have one; you normally don't want another squib so they are pretty rare for there to be a family with multiple squibs."  
"Is there a point or are you going to slide in a pure blood remark?" Hermione hashed.  
"Both of you stop it!" Harry groaned.  
"Alright Harry, I'll do some research for you. Trace back Voldemort's family and yours. I'll see where they meet." Hermione said softly.  
"You could be heir by marriage Harry," Draco added, oddly nicely.  
"You can be heir by marriage?" Hermione gasped.  
"What you never read the before?"  
"Draco Malfoy I otta!" Hermione reared her hand back.  
Harry grabbed it and got in her face. "Hermione just let it go. its Malfoy."  
Hermione's eyes where raging, but they softened them a bit. "Alright Harry, I'm going to bed." She planted a kiss on his cheek and left the room.  
"How do you do it Potter?" Draco asked, "If I got in a girl's face they'd think I either wanted to snog or they'd bite me."  
"You don't understand anything do you?" Harry sighed, finishing Hermione's cold tea.  
"I guess not," Draco said pulling his hand through his hair.  
  
Harry woke up with a head ache. The boy's dorm was empty except for Mark snoring softly under Harry's arm, and Ron, Hermione and Draco talking quietly in the corner. Ron was listening intently to Hermione while watching Draco with narrowed eyes.  
"Mark," Harry whispered.  
"Yeah Harry," he yawned.  
"Did you have a nightmare?" Harry asked.  
"Yes," Mark replied, edging closer to Harry's chest, shaking slightly.  
"What about?"  
"I saw you and Voldemort fighting."  
"What next?"  
"You said something and then there was green light. I couldn't find you and I kept running and running, but you were gone." Mark was now softly crying. "I don't want to loose you."  
"I'm right here Mark," Harry gave him a hug, "But it was only a dream. You won't loose me."  
"Harry, are you awake?" Ron asked.  
"Yeah. as awake as I'm going to be." He threw the blankets off him and Mark.  
"Are you okay mate?" Ron said.  
"I guess," Harry shrugged and pulled on a cut off t-shirt. "What day is it?"  
"July 18," Hermione chimed. "You missed breakfast, but I bet we can get an early lunch, come on."  
"I'll be there in a moment." Harry called after them when they were all at the door. "Yeah, there in a moment."  
"I thought I heard your voice Harry," Ginny said from the door.  
"Oh. Ginny." Harry scratched the back of his head and nodded toward her, "Hi."  
"Um. why were you and Hermione down stairs half the night?" Ginny pressed, stepping closer to her. Her voice was breaking and her eyes looked scratchy. Harry did everything he could not to laugh. Ginny was jealous. scared that Harry had been up all night with Hermione doing what Draco thought they would.  
"We were talking Gin."  
"About what?"  
"About stuff best friends talk about. If you think something happened, just ask Draco, he was down there too."  
"UGH!" Ginny screamed slapping her hands next to her sides.  
"Okay. girls are officially confusing." Harry sighed. He dug through his trunk and pulled out the old broken wand he got at Voldemort's.  
"I heard you," Sirius whispered form the door.  
"Well, you should know." Harry snapped slightly.  
"Harry, don't treat me like that. I. I didn't catch my words."  
"That's funny, I did." Harry stood up and walked away before Sirius could get to him.  
"Harry James Potter, stop being thick headed." Sirius barked.  
Harry turned around and looked at his god father. The only father he ever knew. "Harry, I know your sore with me. but listen." Sirius put an arm around him and led him to the bed. "You're dad was everything I wanted to be, he was ten times the man I could ever wish to be and I envied him. My words were harsh but the sorrow words I have because you'll never know any father but me."  
Harry was looking at his feet then up at Sirius. "Oh Sirius," Harry wrapped his arms around Sirius' neck. 


	10. United Orders of the World

Chapter Ten United Orders of the World  
  
"Yippee skippie!" a voice entered the manor at 5 promptly.  
"Say Fred, shouldn't there be a party going on?"  
"I say there should!" Fred answered.  
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Draco came running down the stairs to find Fred and George putting their rain coats and boots beside the door. Their faces, if possible, were split in half by smiles.  
"What in the blazes are you two excited about?" Ron splat.  
"Well look at this George, Ron doesn't know." Fred said.  
"Maybe none of them do. MUM!" At George's words plump little Mrs. Weasley came charging into the room.  
"Well, what is it George? Must you two make a production everything time you come home?" A dirty dish rag was in her hand and Ginny was behind her. She looked at Harry then quickly way.  
"By George, George, they don't know!" Fred exclaimed smacking his knee. "Oh how smashingly funny!"  
"What is it Fred? What are you two going on about?"  
"Mum, has any of the Minister works been by the house since we left?"  
"Well, no. they all went for Fudge's trial. Seri too." Molly Weasley answered. "Tell me what's going on!"  
"Have you turned on the radio?" George pressed.  
"No, just tell me George! I don't care if you are 18, I'll turn you over my knee!"  
"Any owls?" Fred asked.  
"You know damn straight they all go to Algie's (Neil's) houses instead of here. It would attract attention."  
"Smashing! You have no idea! Fred, get the radio from Seri's living room."  
"I don't get it, what are you going on about?" Ginny asked sweetly.  
"EVERYONE IN THE KITCHEN!" George screamed. At this, ten or twenty hurried footsteps came down the hall, down the stairs pass Harry and them. When ever you made such an announcement like this everyone came. it was an order straight form Dumbledore to do so, even if it was a stupid request from one of the twins.  
No body was really home today. Krum and Miley, some of the older women and some girls from Greece who were signing up, but everyone was in the kitchen by the time Fred came back with the radio.  
"I still can't believe you all haven't heard. It's been the talk of London, I think even the Muggles know something happened." Fred turned the radio on, moved the antenna and turned a knob.  
"This is Lee Jordan with your London Magical news. As of eight thirty four a.m. this morning there had been rumors of a change in Minister seating. At nine twenty one a.m. those rumors where conferred by Albus Dumbledore."  
Dumbledore's voice took over the sound waves. The kitchen was silent, listening. "It's as simple as this: Cornelius Fudge was more interested in power and his self image then the good of the magical community. The Minister congregation has fired him this morning and replaced him. Due to the recent events of the past year we felt that we need a strong yet sensitive man who would connect muggles and the magical world together. United we stand, divided we fall. The congregation had hired Arthur Weasley, the former head of the Muggle department here in the Ministry of Magic, London."  
"Yes ladies and gentlemen, that's right, Fudge has been fired; about time if you ask me."  
"Jordan stick to the news."  
"Right bossy, sorry. Fudge has been fired and with an up lifting speech from Dumbledore himself, we have a new Minister, Weasley. Let's just pray that he doesn't let the twins help any."  
"Hey!" George and Fred screamed at the radio.  
"That's all for Jordan at quarter to, see you after your forty-five minute music hour."  
The room was silent except for the lasted Witch Sister's song playing. Ron looked from Harry to Hermione searching for a reaction. Molly Weasley had buried herself in her hands, shaking her head softly. "It's ending," she whispered, "It'll be over soon, I know it."  
  
There was a party that evening. As soon as Molly Weasley had pulled herself together, she had ordered every person in the house to do something. The boy where all the clean the house till it was perfect. which really wasn't that hard because Kreacher had been doing an excellent job since Seri had come to number 12. The girls were to bake. They were spitting out five layered cakes, turkeys and hams like nothing. Algie came by with a wheel barrel later. It had been piled with letters congratulating Mr. Weasley and boxes of sweets for the family to eat. Within a short hour everyone piled in from the rain. Dumbledore was smiling, Mr. Weasley's hair was wet and dripping in his face, but he was holding his head high. It was the most magnificent thing Harry had ever seen in his life. That evening he sat down with Patrick and Sirius on either side and ate with the Weasleys. another family moment he hated sharing with them and another moment that he wanted his own dad there.  
  
"Harry."  
"What?" Harry snapped in his sleep.  
"Harry, roll over."  
Harry huffed and turned over in his bed to face Ron. "What?"  
"Are you okay mate?"  
"Yeah, I'm perfectly fine besides the fact I can't go to sleep."  
"Talk to me," Ron pleaded.  
"About what?"  
"Why are you so bummed?"  
"Because I can be," Harry growled.  
"Mate. come on."  
Harry raised himself up on his arms and looked at Ron. His hair was wet and falling into his eyes. "What do you think is wrong?"  
"I dunno, I mean you should be pretty glad because my dad's Minister."  
"YOUR dad," Harry huffed before rolling back over.  
"That's it. your jealous huh?" Ron questioned in surprise.  
"Why would I be jealous of you?"  
Ron's face fell. "I dunno really. I was just guessing." Ron rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. "Huh, kinda funny I even said that. Why would famous Harry Potter be jealous of me? He's famous, and rich, and could possibly get any girl in Hogwarts he wanted. He hasn't any brothers to lose or fight with for attention." Ron rambled on to himself till he faded to sleep, still muttering.  
Harry laid curled up in a ball, covers pulled up to his chin. Tears were softly rolling down his cheek as what Ron was saying reached his ears. Ron had no idea what he was saying. none at all.  
  
"What does this mean for the Order?" Jessica Flowers asked most urgently.  
Harry had collapsed onto the grand oak table in the meeting room. Only the Head representatives of each Order was invited to the Grand Order meetings; representatives, Harry and Arthur Weasley.  
"Dumbledore," Mr. Weasley said, turning his attention to the tall, silver breaded man beside him.  
"It's all depend on how you run things Arthur. If you do as I know you will, we will have muggle support."  
"'ut woodent tat meeen muggal knowledgement?" The Mexican representative blurted out.  
"Yes. but we have to do it peacefully." Arthur mutter just load enough for everyone to hear. He leaned back in his chair a hand on the side of his face.  
"I'm sorry," Harry uttered, raising his head off the table, "but why do we spend so much time keeping the magical world separate from the muggle world?"  
The room slowly zeroed in on Harry and his back down in his chair to the stares. Had he crossed a wrong line? Was his question stupid and childish? Would it be wise to throw the chair out from under him, jump the table and run?  
"Is there an easy answer Dumbledore?" an Italian man with shaggy brown black hair falling into her eyes gracefully asked in a prefect dialect of English. Harry directed his attention to the man so not to look as over whelmed as he felt. The man looked not much older than him. He was filled out nicely and unlike everyone else, was not staring at Harry but drawing a picture of a girl on a scrap piece of parchment.  
"There is Evan. but it would be easier with the right back ground." Dumbledore directed at the room.  
"Harry, we will discuss this after the meeting. As of right now. how can we softly feed the muggles such information they have been denying for so long?" Evan said, his eyes still on the scrap parchment.  
The discussion went on; small fights of stupid ideas and silly answers. Harry laid his head back down on the table and Evan didn't say another word.  
"Having Britain's government beside us now we are just as strong as Voldemort's forces," Mr. Weasley said. A couple people squinted at the name. "We need a plan of action. this could all be over soon!"  
"Calm down Arthur," Dumbledore put a hand up as though to stop traffic. "Do not rush the situation."  
"But innocent people will die!" Jessica Flow stood up and cried into the hall. "We are all that stands between Voldemort and his victory! We must act, and act quickly!"  
"Here here," Everyone replied.  
"No Jessica. we do not stand between him and his victory." Dumbledore lowered his head to gaze at her face. "We are only here to stop the Dark Order and safe lives but we will not be Voldemort's down fall. Thus, we can not decide when it comes."  
"I think you're being down right silly!" A girl piped.  
"Then who stands in front of his victory? Who decides when all this ends?"  
But as though the answer became known to them Harry felt eyes upon him and his scar. They were reading him like an open book. Looking at him as though they just remembered who he was and what he had done before.  
"Harry is the only one that has the power, the resource and the connections to stop Voldemort. We can not rush him into something he doesn't understand why he's doing it, what he hasn't to do and why it's him who has to do it. All we can do is help Harry understand and prepare him for what he must do." Dumbledore spoke to the group, but looked at Harry with ocean blue eyes. Harry felt warm and reassured. 


	11. The First Evil

Chapter Eleven The First Evil  
  
The room slowly filtered out. Harry began to rise and leave but Dumbledore's long, white finger pressed into his shoulders and settled him back down in his seat. With a heaving sigh, Harry looked around to see only the Italian man was left.  
The man stood, showing Harry his figure. He had broad shoulders, a cut chin and dashing brown eyes hidden behind a clean line of dark hair. The man walked to Harry and held out his hand. "Evan." The man said plainly.  
Harry took his hand and shook it gently, waiting for the man to say his last name. he didn't.  
"Evan doesn't have a last name Harry." Dumbledore addressed sitting down. "He has no last name because he is not recognized in common time."  
Harry looked from Dumbledore, to Evan and back to Dumbledore with complete confusion on his face. Evan seemed more so delighted by it. "What the heck does that mean?"  
"It means," Evan answered, taking a seat directly across from Harry, "That I am not human. I'm a Magical historian."  
"A what?"  
"A Magical Historian. I keep track of time and place and events because as you know, history repeats it's self. It has, it will and it is. this very second." Evan dusted off his fading black robes before he continued. "You see, I'm not recognized in common time with a last name because today we are always looking for the future, for the now. No one takes the time to look back and remember. That's why I'm distend to live forever until death kills me, because I remember the past and someone has to or it will fade."  
"Fade how?"  
"Fade." Evan said slowly, lengthening the word till it sank into Harry's skin like a rock into water. "If the past isn't remembered it will fade into nothingness where. it never happened. Bad thing can happen when something didn't that was supposed to."  
Silence crept over Evan's regaining breath. The room darkened and Harry felt himself tense. What did this mean? What did Evan know?  
"I think he should learn alone." Dumbledore stood and walked to the door.  
"No, please stay," Harry jarred before he could stop himself. He felt his cheeks redden, how childish! "Please don't leave me alone."  
"You need you learn the truth Harry. Don't be afraid." Dumbledore said, gazing into Harry's eyes with his.  
"I'm. I'm scared of the truth." Harry stuttered.  
"Then maybe." Dumbledore turned, "Maybe you are wiser than I give you credit for." He shut the door. Light flickered and the room shrank before Harry's eyes. Compacting into a room with a small table and two chairs where used to be a hundred person table.  
"Very wise our little Seri is," Evan announced. "Haven't known a witch very much like her. and I've known plenty."  
"Okay." Harry sighed and took the second seat. "I'm listening. Tell me what I need to hear."  
"Do you know why you need to hear it?" Evan asked, leaning forward.  
"Because. because. I don't know."  
"Because you need to realize that you were not handed the short end of the stick. Because you need to know why you are fighting and why you have to be strong for everyone. And simply because you have to know what will happen if you should fail. Someone had failed before."  
"You mean. someone could have killed Voldemort before?" Harry leaning forward.  
"Not Voldemort. Voldemort is the second evil of this time. The first evil should have been killed by your heir."  
"The first evil?"  
Evan didn't say another word, just leaned back and crossed his arm.  
Harry felt himself grow dizzy. His neck got hot and his tensed up. Finally he sort of black out and leaned against the back on the chair.  
  
"Where, where am I?" Harry tried to say. His eyes fluttered open to a white room. There was nothing there. but white.  
"You are here. exactly where you are." Evan's voice echoed.  
"Where's that?"  
"I'm going to tell you the story of the first evil."  
Harry felt his legs go weak and he dropped right into another picture. It was bright. a bright day in muggle London, but something was different.  
"Sit down Harry," Evan's voice commanded, Harry sat. "As I tell you the story you will see what I saw, the story as it happened."  
"Evan." Harry muttered, leaned out of the way of a hurrying wizard. "Why can't I see you?"  
"Pay no mind to that. I can't see what I already saw. You can't be seen or felt in the story."  
Harry settled down and let and woman smack him upside the head with her hand bag. but the "image" faded right before his eyes. "Cool." Harry he breathed.  
Evan kinda chuckled and began.  
"The First Evil. yes yes, there we go. This Harry is muggle London. London when muggles and wizards where not segregated; we lived in the world as one. There were a few problems with this. In some small areas of the world. people either hated muggles or hated wizards. Muggles would blame all their problems on the wizards or run to the wizards to solve all their problems. Yet, in a round effect everything was going smoothly.  
"Until. in Muggle London 1112," the view Harry saw changed from a bright shopping day, to a dark, dirt road market with both wizard and muggles' running around "shopping". "In this town, at this time lived four friends. Four wizard like friends that went to school together. In their hands they held the great evil and weight anyone of this world has ever known, only four today know of what weight I speak." As Evan's voice flowed into Harry, four people walked down the street. Two were teenage boys, one with messy black hair and the other with shiny blonde. Two girls walked behind them, one had messy brown hair and the other red, pulled back in a tie.  
"They. they look like. they kinda look like us.."  
Evan ignored the question and went on. The four walked closer to Harry. The one with messy hair resembled himself, his figure, his height. The blond boy, minus the hair, looked like Ron. Fading freckles on his face, standing a few inches taller than the other boy. He wore a gallant giggle across his face. The girl with messy brown hair had a slender figure and her two front teeth were slightly larger than normal. The girl with red hair was tall, slender and also has fading freckles. but they were more brilliant. Hermione. Ginny.  
"Let me introduce you to your school founders Harry." The one with black hair looked like him. Harry thought, now resting his eyes on the boy. "The girl with red hair is Rowan Ravenclaw, the girl with brown hair is Helga Hufflepuff, the boy with blond hair is Godric Gryffindor and the boy with black hair is Salazar Slytherin." Harry felt his heart skip a beat. That can't be true. but then again it did make since.  
"Go. go on." Harry muttered as he watched the founders stop at a booth and pick up apples.  
"Are you ready to know? Do you really want me to go on?" Evan asked sympathetically.  
"I'm not ready for anything," Harry said, "But what ever is going to happen is going to happen rather I'm ready or not."  
"Harry, you are wise beyond your years." Evan said before he continued his story. "This is the last year of the age of simplicity; the year when everything everyone new changed and some forgot exactly what they thought they knew."  
"Get away from me you stupid witch," a plump man carrying a bag of bread grunted.  
"Excuse me," Salazar snapped, gently pushing Helga out of the way. "We had no idea you need so much room to pass."  
The man grunted and moved on.  
"Why did muggles and wizards go their separate ways?" Harry asked.  
"You have to understand Harry. being magical means you are easier going, more willing to admit your wrong or that something crazy just might be true. The best wizards around us are optimistic. Muggles are too concerned with getting ahead and beating the other that they don' t look around and realize what is around them. In the very beginning everyone had magic in their blood."  
"What happened?"  
"It's very simple really. one of the most wisest and most power wizard of all time."  
"Who?"  
"Ulrich Dumbledore." Harry dropped his mouth open in disbelieve, but didn't interrupt again. "Ulrich saw that some people didn't use their powers wisely. didn't understand why magic was a gift. He declared that only the ones deserving would hold their powers and the rest would loose theirs and life in generations forever with their loss and why they didn't deserve it. Over night half the world's population lost their magical powers. some families were split. some keeping some lost. families split in half and disowned the other. Ulrich was murdered a week later by a group of angry muggles."  
Evan cleared his thought and got back to his story. "The four you know as Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin were the wisest, and quickest witted of their kind. That is exactly why fate choose them."  
"For what?"  
"For about 11 years an evil had been plaguing the world. She would kill by night and walk the street collecting followers by day. The muggles, being so closed mind, blamed it on the magical world, thinking each witch and wizard would kill by night. These four where the last of the pure wizards and as their strength fell so did the hope for the unity of the world. No four have been pure until now."  
Harry watched as the four walked into a small café type place. They sat down in the corner, whispering.  
"Godric, what are we going to do?" Rowena asked softly.  
"I don't know." Godric Gryffindor sighed, letting his hands weave into his hair.  
"We have to listen to the prophecy." Salazar announced.  
"But. we don't know how it ends. only how it begins Sal." Helga whispered with concern.  
"Well, what else can we do?" Rowena fell into her arms.  
"Tonight," Salazar breathed.  
"Tonight mate?" Godric questioned, rising up.  
"Yeah. me alone." Salazar said, nodding to himself.  
"But Sal. you need us. we're a team." Helga whimpered.  
"I have to do it alone. you know that, you've known that." Salazar muttered.  
"Why doesn't he let them help him?" Harry blurted out.  
"Ask yourself." Evan trailed off.  
"Alone. tonight. I have to face it alone." Salazar repeated. The others nodded sadly and left with muggle eyes bearing on them.  
"Evan." Harry stuttered as the market dissolved and a darkness over took his eyes. "Does. does Slytherin have to do. does he has to stop the evil alone?"  
"The curse was caste on him by destiny. He has a job to do and only he has the power to do it." Evan answered.  
"He can't push everyone away!" Harry all of the sudden screamed. "He can't do it alone, he's one person!"  
"I know that Harry and you are beginning to realize that." Evan trailed off letting his words drop heavily. Then he continued, "Slytherin is being hard headed, thinking he was handed the short end of the stick and in being frankly, stupid. he fighting by himself."  
A black hooded figure appeared in the darkness. It was a graveyard. There was a shaded white picket fence around the cracking and braking tomb stones.  
"Where are you?" Salazar hissed. "I haven't come here to play games."  
"I know you haven't darling." A female voice whispered in the night breeze.  
"Cameo de Maria I've come to face you like a man."  
A high pitch giggle exploded in the darkness. "And we all know what men do." A slender figure appeared yards away from Salazar. She drew back her hood and let her vibrant red hair flow over her shoulders. "You have dreamed of this night haven't you. dreamed of the day you would meet me."  
"In my nightmares," Slytherin gritted.  
"I think not. I see them, in your head." Cameo chanted in a awe stopping voice.  
"How do you have such power?" Salazar asked horror struck.  
Cameo gave him one last death look then her eyes softened and she cocked her head.  
"Harry," Evan's voice echoed. "See what she is thinking. look inside her mind. you can do that you know."  
Harry squinted his eyes, and then shrugged. He stood and patted his chest for his wand. He drew it out, whispered the words and what he saw threw him back.  
A baby born on a cold rainy night, a child with grey eyes and fuzzy red black hair.  
A small girl with red hair skipping rope.  
A baby laying in a destroyed room in a crib. A lighting scar across his forehead and a red haired woman strung over him.  
Another cold rainy night. A grave yard. A tall slender figure standing with his wand pointing a short figure with that lightening scar and green eyes.  
"I have a probation for you." Cameo said seductively.  
"I don't want to hear anything you have to say."  
"Well. you may." she pocketed her wand and closed the space between herself and Salazar. "You seek power. and romance. you want to rule the world and take back all you lost."  
  
"How. I. Shut up!" Salazar stepped back.  
"I see it playing in your head. the death of your closest friend. you want to strangle the live from him."  
Tears shined in Salazar's eyes and he slowly shook his head.  
"He always had everything you ever wanted. his family. his bravery. you never had that. you never had. power."  
"WHAT DO YOU WANT!?!" Salazar screamed.  
Cameo got in his face, her breath mingling with his. "I've dreamed of this night too."  
"What do you want?" Salazar repeated strongly.  
"What did you come here for Sal? Did you come to defeat me?"  
"Ye.Yes."  
"You don't have to. you don't want to." Cameo nodded slowly. "I'll stop."  
"But. but why?"  
"A girl can't be in love and act like this. my followers will die. I'll kill them and you may turn my right hand over to the Ministry." she bent down on her knees, "Just please don't kill me my love."  
"You're love?!?!"  
"Oh Salazar. don't tell me you've never dreamt it. us together. in love." A smile cracked on her face.  
"Cameo. I. I. I have." Salazar muttered.  
"I'm so sorry. I don't know why I did it." She flung herself around Salazar's neck and Harry saw it then. the evil, high pitch grin of Voldemort.  
"Cameo?" A man appeared out of no where. "What the hell is this about?"  
Cameo eased herself out of Salazar's arms and turned to face the man. "Plans have been changed Black, I am sorry." She raised her wand and a spark flew to the man's chest. He disappeared.  
"What did you do to him?" Salazar whispered in her ear.  
"Blew him up. tell the Ministry that." Cameo turned into his kiss.  
"Ah ha, that's enough of that." Evan snapped his fingers and the world dissolved back to the small Grand Order room. "I think a destined kissing the dead destined is very nasty. And kissing someone like that in general brings back. bitter sweet memories." Evan whipped his eyes and sat, hands crossed in front of him and stared at Harry awaiting questions. 


	12. Minister Weasley

Chapter Twelve Minister Weasley  
  
"Wake up Harry," Sirius shook Harry softly.  
"Five more minutes..." Harry grunted rolling over; Ron's muttering coming in louder.  
"Harry, we have to go to the Ministry, now wake up." Sirius peeled the covers down and Harry nearly jumped out of bed. "Blood hell, where did your clothes go?" Harry was only wearing a pair of boxers.  
"Leave me alone Sirius!" Harry whimpered, collecting the covers again and slightly blushing.  
"Haha, sorry mate." Sirius sat down on the bed and gripped his wand. He muttered a few word and a spark hit Ron in the chest.  
Harry sat up straight and he felt his eyes roll back in his head. His voice got high pitched, "Plans have been changed Black, I am sorry."  
His eyes rolled back and he collapsed back down into his pillow as Ron was rolled off his bed.  
"HARRY!"  
  
The world came back to him in a blur just as he felt himself being plunged into an ice water bath.  
"WHAT THE?!?!" Harry jumped to his feet. His skin was red from the chilled water at his feet.  
"Sorry mate," Ron said, "But Mrs. Dursley said that was the best remedy for black outs."  
"Come here Harry," Sirius opened up a towel and helped Harry step out of the bath tub. He wrapped Harry up in the towel and dried his hair.  
"Sirius, knock it off!" Harry snapped.  
"Sorry mate, I just used to do that when you where a little tike." Sirius kinda chuckled and led Harry into the bed room.  
Harry's cheeks flushing pink, either from cold or the fact that the man standing in front of him held him and bath him like the father he knew for a short time did.  
"What did you mean?" Sirius asked.  
"Mean by what?" Harry asked, carling back into a nice warm bed and snuggling down.  
"'Plans have changed Black, I'm sorry.'" Sirius mimicked.  
"Oh... I said that?" Harry asked.  
"Yeah, right before you fainted." Ron said, throwing a clean shirt and jeans at Harry.  
"It's...it's what..." Harry narrowed his eyes and sighed, "what Cameo said to Black before she killed him."  
"Black?" Ron repeated.  
"Her...right man..." Harry said slowly looking to Sirius who looked bewildered.  
"Where did you get this from?" Sirius asked.  
"Evan... he told me about the first evil... and... the founders of Hogwarts... but..." Harry stopped when Ginny popped her head in the door.  
"Good morning Ron, Sirius," Here eyes danced to Harry and then jolted away. "Dad said he's leaving in the car in fifteen minutes, if you don't hurry you'll have to take the train."  
"Why are we going to the Ministry?" Harry asked, pulling his pants on.  
"Lesson Harry," Ron said, making his eye brows dance.  
"And my trail," Sirius said. "Shouldn't be too hard, Mr. Weasley will be presiding and that's about it." Sirius looked at Ron and winked, "Excuse me... Minister Weasley."  
Harry grinned at Ron trying to hide his blushing cheeks. Then it hit him, "What lessons?"  
"Come off it Potter, don't play stupid all the time!" Draco hissed from the door frame of the boy's dorm. "Apparition Lesson!"  
"Honestly Draco!" Hermione said, coming behind Draco, smacking him on the head. "Be a little louder and wake up the meeting! They just got to sleep by what Seri said. Up till four in the morning!" Hermione shook her head and pushed past Draco. "Now Harry, the cold wet look is very becoming on you, but please get dressed."  
Harry grinned boyish, not embarrassed that Hermione had seen him shaking in boxers and pull his jeans on.  
"What was the meeting over this time?" Ron asked.  
"I'm not sure," Hermione said matter of factly. "It was very secret, seemed like only English members where invited to this one."  
"It's nothing to worry about," Sirius said, waving his head. "Just to protect and weapon."  
"What weapon?" Harry asked bluntly, dragging his shirt over his face.  
"Nothing to worry about now Harry." Sirius gave him and relieving smile and a pat on the back.  
"Shall we leave now?" Hermione said impatiently. Ron giggled a little higher pitched then normal when Hermione turned on heel, grabbing Draco by the ear and dragging him down the stairs.  
"Everyone ready daddy?" Seri said, walking down the hall putting in her ear rings.  
"I think so sweets," Sirius answered, following the crew down the stairs.  
"Good, Mr. Weasley is waiting in the drive way." Seri announced.  
"What about breakfast?!?" Harry turned and yelled up the stairs, his arms high.  
"Complimentary Breakfast at the Ministry Potter," Draco jeered only leading Hermione to jerk his hard by the ear. "My God Herms what is wrong with you this morning? Is it that time of the month or what?"  
Hermione squeezed her face and threw Draco down the remaining two stairs. "Listen sharp and listen good." Hermione said getting closer to Draco as she spoke. "I am sick and tiered of putting up with your childish jokes and stupid pranks! If you are going to be living under the same roof as me you better straighten up!"  
"Straighten me up then Hermione!" Draco said, opening his arms wipe.  
"He's going to get smack..." Ron whispered to Harry.  
Hermione reared back her hand and was about to make a sharp compact to Draco when he grabbed her hand and jerked her forward. His lips when to her ear and whispered something Harry imaged to be nasty, but he didn't hear it. Hermione tore her from Draco grip and stared at him. Ron and Harry looked at each other in shock... Hermione was defiantly suppressing a smile and she was... blushing!  
"Stop stalling and keep moving!" Sirius shouted from the top of the stairs.  
Hermione looked up quickly and scurried out the front door. Harry and Ron grinned at one another and proceeded on.  
"WAIT!" Susan Bones and Miley came running out of the house falling onto Harry and Ron's back.  
"You can't just leave without me now," Miley said straightening her robes.  
"Seri," Charlie pulled Seri out of the view of the door frame and she slowly stepped back into view.  
"Bye Charlie," she said softly, slowly letting his hands slip from hers.  
"Come on darling," Sirius said, rolling his eyes and then on the parade of seven made their way to the came and onto the Ministry.  
"Hello Harry!" Neville screamed excited running to Harry. He clung to his arm tightly like someone was after him. His face was bright, and cheery.  
"Hey Neville," Harry cooed, "Feeling alright mate?"  
"Fine, just fine Harry." Neville kinda stuttered. "Gran would have come, but she had to... actually, I don't know what she had to do." He tore himself away from Harry and scratched his head, then shrugged.  
"You never mind that Neville," Mr. Weasley said, appearing in from of the phone booth. He had on bran new robes, deep red reflecting his bright red hair, with gold trim. His hat was pointed and sleek and the badge on his chest shimmered, "London\ Minster of Magic: Arthur Weasley."  
"My father told me about this... process." Draco splat, budging in the phone booth with everyone else.  
"This isn't working too well Minister," Seri said, her eyes dancing at Ron's proud smile.  
"Yes, well, let's see..." Arthur put his hand to his chin, "I know... Ron pick up Miley and put her on your shoulders. Draco do the same for Susan, Harry you pick up Hermione and Sirius do Seri."  
On command the girls were lifted and put on the boy's shoulders. "Ouch Ron!" Miley squealed, "That's my head you're punching through the roof."  
"Shhh Miley, he's just a bit tall." Minister Weasley nudged. "What were you saying Draco?"  
"Dad never said anything about the Minister escorting us." Hermione looked down at Draco, Harry saw. His eyes softened a bit when mentioning his father and Hermione's watered looking at him.  
"Well... you see... it's not a Minister business. I shepherded my other son's first lesson, why should Ron be any different."  
"You didn't Charlie, mom took him." Ron jumped in.  
Mr. Weasley punch a few buttons on the telephone and it began to move.  
"Yes, but I had the that thing to do... then... something with Dumbledore... the muggle protection thingy... you know." Mr. Weasley spat.  
"Why don't we need any badges Minister?" Susan Bones asked sweetly.  
"I've learned to love the idea of being Minister. Codes and the works... no more stalling and I don't even need to pay for the food in the cafeteria."  
"Mom always packs your lunch dad," Ron chuckled.  
"And I always eat it... later." Mr. Weasley gave an innocent grin and led the way out of the phone booth.  
"This way, we're running a bit behind." Seri said over the roaring voice in the Ministry.  
Harry, Ron, Hermione, Susan and Malfoy all stopped and looked at the surroundings. It wasn't as clean cut and polished as it was the last time any of them had been there. People were walking around, a spring in their step, talking excitedly to each other, smiles pasted on their faces.  
"MINISTER!" a curly red headed girl came running up to him. "I've been stalling class for five minutes, is he here yet?" He bright blue eyes left the Mr. Weasley and traveled to Harry and then to his scar. "Beg my pardon," the girl said, brushing her curls off her shoulder briskly. "I'm Cameron Ridgley, your apparition teacher for the next week."  
"I thought Charles Darnay was. That's what my father told me." Draco spat rudely.  
Cameo's eyes veered off Harry's face and to Draco's. Her sparkling blue eyes changed colors... to a pinky red. "I am sorry, but what is your name?"  
"Draco Malfoy," he said, his chest held out.  
"A Malfoy, I should have known." Cameron sighed and her eyes changed again, "Let's proceed, your class is waiting."  
Seri nodded at Harry and he followed Cameron with the other, leaving Sirius, Seri and Mr. Weasley behind, smiling after them. 


	13. Apparate

Chapter Thirteen Apparate  
  
Cameron pushed open double doors and led them to a grand room with three tables set up full of food. "Hurry up and grab yourself some breakfast. You can take it too the class room."  
Harry's eyes got big in a grin and almost on cue, Ron stomach gave a roaring growl.  
They slipped though and dogged through Minister Workers. Some in blue, some in green, the point being... unlike Fudge's workers, these people were dressed to style and uniqueness, not to uniform.  
"Everyone ready?" Cameron sounded over everyone. "Throw away your trash or take the remainder of you breakfast with you. APPARATITION STUDENT THIS WAY!"  
The crowd of workers stopped what they were doing and eyes the 17year olds walking to the curly red head in the front. It seemed that this was part of the "intonation" Harry thought, adults staring at them, them pointing and cutting silent jokes. And this went on for a minute or too till someone dropped a glass jug of milk.  
"I don't fucking believe it!" a woman shirked, "It's Harry Potter!"  
Harry bowed his head and shook it. His face was plastered on every book, newspaper and magazine since he was one year old, and for the past seven he has been part of this world but it never failed. His presence always seemed to bring uproar.  
"So," a man snapped.  
"Sooooo," the woman said more calmly, "It's bringing... the bringing of the end!"  
"What are you talking about?"  
"She's talking about Harry Potter becoming a man, he and Voldemort on finally on even footing, same education... you know. And Harry was a match for him as a baby... now think of the odds."  
Harry's felt his face glow red, "Harry Potter becoming a man..." Draco looked at him, and even though Harry excepted a joking smile he got a reassuring smirk. Draco put his arm over Harry's shoulders, and pushed through the crowd and past Cameron.  
"Thanks Draco," Harry whispered.  
"It's alright Potter, they don't know what they're talking about. You've been a man for a long time, whether you or any of them want to admit it. Half that room in there still doesn't have the balls to do what you've been doing since you first started school."  
Harry looked at him and grinned, he never heard anyone say something like to him, and even if they did, he doubted it would mean half as much as it did coming from the mouth of his rival now friend.  
"Step up here lively," Cameron beckoned.  
The throng of students horded into the foyer and the grand double doors magically closed behind them. Draco slid his arm from Harry's shoulder's and eased his way into the mass, away from Harry, Ron and Hermione, who had come to Harry's side. "What did that slim say to you?" Ron muttered.  
"Leave Draco alone, he's... changed." Harry said, with a relieving sigh.  
"What did he say?" Ron repeated, unhappy with his answer.  
"We understand each other, or at least he understands me."  
Ron gave him a quizzical look, but shrugged, "His not going to beat me out for best mate, is he Potter?"  
Harry chuckled, "As long as I'm still famous, never."  
Ron gave a wide grin and patted Harry on the back.  
"Harry," Hermione whispered, "Did Draco say anything about..." she stuttered to finish, "...me..."  
Harry looked down at her: she came to his shoulders, her now straight hair falling over her own shoulders. Her neck was hinged up, glaring into Harry's eyes for the truth. He narrowed his eyes, trying to find out where she was going with such a question, "No, why would Draco..."  
"I know your life might be a bit more important than the one of us humble people, Mr. Potter, but please take your social life with Miss Granger somewhere else." Cameron raised her voice as to catch Harry's attention. She'd been talking to whole time. There was a snigger in the back ground. Harry knew the laugh; it was Draco's.  
"As I was saying, Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, through the door behind me is a corridor. It is dark and it separates out in two opposite directions; one to your left and the other to your right." She paused and looked at Neville who was shaking. "This is your first task... to get to your class room." She proclaimed, a smile on her face. "One will take you straight or as straight as possible to the nearest door. The other will take no where. It will bring you back through this door," She pointed to a small, plane red door to Harry's right. "And you will begin the task over again, hopefully not taking the path you took the first time. You are to make your decision based on instant of where the class room is."  
The tall green door behind her slowly opened in darkness. "Proceed." She said softly.  
The swarm squeezed through the door, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville up front.  
"Ouch!"  
"That was my foot frog brain!"  
"Hey, watch it!"  
Everyone was tripping over each other, stepping on each other's feet. You could not see the hand in front of your face it was so dark. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville had formed chain, holding onto each other's robes.  
They came to the fork.  
"Which way?" Hermione hissed.  
"Right?" Ron said, beginning to drag Neville in the that direction.  
Harry rooted still. "No," he breathed slowly, "Left."  
"You think so?" Hermione asked.  
Harry stopped, to think and then nodded, added yes to the answer since no one could see him nod.  
The crowd followed him left.  
The passage went straight until they hit a crude turn.  
Then it narrowed to where only one person could get through at a time. "Aw, Hell no!" Draco screamed in the back. "I bet Potter made this ole wise decision, didn't he. I'm going to other direction!"  
The crowd moaned and groaned, as turning around proved to be a painful task. Only five figures where left in the darkness.  
"Should we turn back?" Neville was clinging to Harry's arm as he chattered.  
"What do you say Potter?" Ron asked.  
"I'm sorry guys," Harry said, defeat riding his voice, "I just had a feeling."  
There was silence.  
"Well hell, I trust that feeling, let's go already. Pick your feet up Weasley, don't want them stepped on." Pudgy Susan Bone with her pink cheeks, same red pony tail from first year had pushed past them and proceeded through the small opening (with a bit of difficulty.)  
Hermione, Ron, Neville and Harry looked to each other in the darkness, and then hurried after her.  
The hall way would wind and zigzag, but not after a minute of the confusing hall way had there been the loud bang, an cry of ouch and Susan Bones screaming, "STOP!"  
They all listened.  
They all watched in darkness.  
"Well, open it Susan," Ron said, his voice mounting to excitement to see if they were right or not.  
Susan nodded in the darkness, searched the door for the door knob and turned the ice steel. The door swung open.  
Their eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and the over coming flooding light made their eyes automatic shut and they stumbled into the room.  
"Bravo!" a high pitched voice squealed.  
Harry fell forward, shielding the others out of reflex.  
"Who... who that?" Ron sput, backing against the door which creaked shut moments before.  
Vision came in slowly, as Harry's eyes adapted to the light. Standing over him, in a flowing black robe was Cameron. Harry sighed and relief and let her help him to his feet.  
She giggled heavenly, "who did you think it was Weasley?"  
Ron messed his hair and shrugged.  
"Are you the only ones?"  
"Draco led the rest in the other way when Harry's got rough, the pansy." Susan said, taking a seat. The room was bright, trimmed in blue and green. There were three rows, two to a glossy oak table. An old, ruby red book sat at each seat, a quill pressed in each book.  
"Well, take a seat while we wait for the others." Cameron ordered. "Potter you and Neville, Susan you and Hermione and Ron you will sit here."  
"Excuse me," Hermione said, raising her hand as though she was promptly back in Hogwarts, "Does it really matter where we sit?"  
Cameron gave a mischievous grin. "Actually it does, like an other class at Hogwarts you shall be graded in here, competing for top seat..." she moved to Harry, "the seat Harry sits in right now."  
Harry sighed, knowing that it had to be something with his fame.  
"Why Harry and not one of us? Why this order?" Susan demanded calmly, "If you please?" she added.  
"Harry's first because I assumed that it was Harry who made the decision to go the right way, and the rest are you are just random. It really doesn't matter at this point... you four have a better chance than anyone of being top honors, who ever is sitting at the first table." Ron raised his hand to say something but she stopped him. "Yes Mr. Weasley, there are two."  
"Just checking!" Ron said, closing his mouth quickly and sitting down in a slum, alone at his table.  
"And," Cameron continued, "You going the right way will be remembered in later days."  
Her eyes twinkled at Harry who grinned where he heard the voices outside the door.  
"GEEEOFFF!"  
Cameron dashed to the door and pulled it open. A throng piled in on top of each other, Draco Malfoy at the bottom.  
"God damnit Malfoy, you stupid squib!" A boy at the middle screamed, worming his way out.  
"Cindy, Cindy!" A blond cried, "Is my hair messed up?"  
"No, no, it's fine Mipsy."  
"CLASS!" Cameron roared. Everyone hopped to their feet leaving Draco laying alone spread eagle on the floor.  
"Mr. Malfoy... I expect you where the one leading the wrong direction."  
"YES HE WAS!" the tall, slender Mipsy said, pointed her finger at Malfoy.  
"Shhhh," Cameron hissed, she redirected her attention to Draco. "Sooo...."  
"Yea, so." Draco snapped.  
"You're the leader... a leader..." She gave an encouraging smile and Ron nearly fainted on his desk. Draco grinned and raised his chest.  
Cameron dropped her smile and her eyes narrowed. "You're the leader with heavy handed words who can talk anyone into doing anything. You're the leader with big word and little actions. You're the leader that as soon as the going gets rough you turn around with you tail between your legs. Well, Mr. Malfoy, with that attitude you will not make it far in my class. Sit down." She addressed coldly.  
All the color that was never in Draco's face seem to vanish more. He slide in beside Ron, slummed down under the table.  
"And Mr. Malfoy, what makes you think I want you so close to me that I can actually smell you? Get up and to the back of the room." Cameron pointed to the very last chair in the far corner. It was fit for one person... Draco Malfoy made his way to the seat in shame. His head bowed, chin in chest and "tail between his legs." Harry had never felt this before. A powerful guilt and empathy came upon him. Singled out in a class... having no one or anyone to care. Draco Malfoy never looked more pitiful to Harry, and yet, while Ron was beating down chuckles Harry felt his heart want to reach out. He felt sorry for him.  
"Everyone else, take a seat somewhere between Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy." The class obeyed, fearing the whip lash Draco has just gotten. "Let this be your first real world lesson..." her eyes danced to Harry and down the room to Ron. She was obviously thinking of all they had been though. "...lesson from me. You don't go far following what is popular or looks easier. You go far and make it by tightening your grip and going along with the tough. I don't believe anyone has ever told you this... but the end is coming."  
The class gasped, Harry leaned on his hand, threading his hands through his hair. "The end may be coming... or it may be defeated. That all depends..."  
"Don't say Harry, please don't Harry." Harry hissed under his breath, into his hands. He felt the class's attention and eyes fall onto him. His neck grew hot and his face glowed red.  
"When the end comes depends on our actions... not tomorrow, not yesterday but our actions today." Harry felt his skin loosen and his breath grow deeper in thanks. He looked up to find Cameron's eyes on him, not harsh, not caring either. They were stern as though speaking words and stories and pasts never spoken before in words. "Today we must take action, we can't sit our lazy asses down and say, 'Oh I'll do that tomorrow,' because the one thing that is always coming but never gets here is... tomorrow." Cameron froze letting her heavy words drop into the pit of everyone's being. Hermione seemed to be the only source movement in the room. She scurried to find parchment and quill, scribbling every word down quickly.  
For some ungodly reason Harry turned back to look at Draco. Draco rose his buried head and his cold gray eyes met Harry's. Eyes, the glints and movement of lights on eyes spoke volumes, screamed instruction and decided futures. 


	14. Sirius Black is Back

Chapter Fourteen Sirius Black is Back  
  
"Today we will be doing simple tasks like..." Cameron was cut off when the door opened.  
"Miss Riddale," Charlie popped his head in the door, "I need Ron, Harry and Hermione."  
Cameron eye's turned red when she heard an interrupting noise, but seeing Charlie's carefree and smiling face her face softened. "Oh, of course Mr. Weasley." She batted her eyes maybe too hard and fast. "Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss. Granger... you may go."  
Charlie scratched the back of his head while he waited for Harry, Ron and Hermione to pack their things. "Thanks Cameron."  
"Don't mention it," Cameron moved closer to Charlie. "I hear you are engaged to Black long lost daughter."  
Charlie straightened up and grinned wider. Hermione gigged. "Yes I am."  
"That's a shame." Cameron said, shaking her head slowly. Charlie stared at her challenging her to say another word. "I mean it's a shame that such a well built, handsome, funny..."  
"We need to go mate," Harry gripped Charlie forearm and jerked him out of the room Ron and Hermione scurrying behind.  
"Thanks mate," Charlie breathed. "You know, if that bat still didn't have that silly school girl crush on me she more likely wouldn't have let you three out."  
"Why that?" Hermione asked.  
Charlie chuckled, "She's a lot like you Hermione." She looked hurt, "She has something to say you and feels you need to hear it. Also, she thinks nothing is more important than listening to wise words... if you even call her words wise."  
"I don't like her..." Ron puffed, "How long are these darn classes?"  
"Only a week bro, only a week with the witch."  
"I don't think she that bad." Harry shrugged.  
"How can you say that? After what she did and how she embarrassed Draco!" Hermione nearly screamed.  
The boys looked at her stunned and as though knowing she had gone too far, she bowed her head and they walked to corridor in silence.  
"Charlie! What kept you?" Seri ran up to him and threw her arm around his neck.  
Harry looked away as though he should not be watching.  
"What are we doing?" Ron asked.  
"Well, you and Hermione don't need to be here, Sirius just asked for Harry to sit next to him and I figured you two wanted to be nosy." Seri giggled.  
Harry gulped and nodded. Seri looked onto him motherly and pushed open both grand court doors. The room was simply packed wall to wall, ceiling to floor. Mothers rocked their screaming children to their bosoms and men stood silent in the back, faces hidden in shadows. The room ignored Harry's presence, which was a glorious new event for Harry as he could easily slip in beside his godfather and see his joking eyes. I few months ago he longed to see the old eyes, the eyes he knew and grew to find a home in. Now, staring into the old, dead eyes, he longed for the joyful, innocent eye for his godfather when everything was perfect for him.  
Sirius wore his stern face. He looked at Harry and forced a smile. "Everything is going to work out... my name will be clear." Sirius whispered.  
"What difference does it make now?" Harry leaned forward. "You can't take me away from my worries; you can't give me a home. The Dursleys are dead... I'm too dangerous... you were better hiding without being known you were alive, you could have been our secret weapon."  
Sirius looked at Harry with a new sparkle in his eyes, he nodded. "You think your wise Harry, you think because you have been given so little and charged so much that you know the price. Harry, you are the secret weapon... inside you is something you don't even know about making it impossible for them to know."  
"Then how do you know?"  
"Harry, inside you is heart, and love, and innocence, and goodness, everything everyone today has seemed to forget. You know the stories of good prevailing evil... you are the purest good and Voldemort in the evil. I am not a weapon. I am a pawn in your game of chest against the darkness. Besides, clearing my name proves one think... pride. Pride in my name even though it is associated with evil, and I Harry, Sirius Isis Black is not evil."  
"Harry," Ron leaned over Hermione to him, "Why did you say Black this morning?"  
"He doesn't have to tell you anything till he is ready Mr. Weasley." Evan pulled Ron firmly back in his seat and patted his roughly on the shoulder. "There, there don't be shaken Ronald."  
"Evan, why can't I tell him?" Harry asked.  
"He'll learn... but he is not ready."  
"Evan, good man, you didn't have to come." Sirius turned and shook his hand.  
"Why not Black... you suffer the same name and love experience I do. Does you love still pain you after all these years?" Evan asked glancing at Seri who perked up to hear her father's caring answer.  
"Every second it weighs my heart more. Does it ever go away Evan?" Sirius asked, grasping his daughter's hand.  
"No," Evan announced simply as Mr. Weasley walked in. "It never lessens or goes away you just learn to love the feeling."  
"Minster Weasley will be presiding over this hearing," a boney little wizard said. He pushed is square rimmed glassed up his nose and continued. "Would Mr. Sirius Isis Black please present himself to the court?"  
"This isn't a court Reeds, this is a hearing!" a man grunt from behind Mr. Weasley.  
"Now, now red... leave Lane alone." Mr. Weasley said sitting slouched in his chair, fumbling his fingers. He seemed totally unaware of what was going on, yet was quick as a whip on response. "Continue please Lane."  
"Ye...Yes sir...I mean Minster..."  
"Continue... Lane." Mr. Weasley stopped the boney man's stuttering.  
"Yes Minster, Mr. Black please." Lane pushed his glasses yet again up his freckly nose and searched the room for Sirius.  
"Stand up with me Harry," Sirius hissed.  
"Why?"  
"Share my lime light."  
"I have enough of my own thanks." Harry grinned, but relucently stood as Sirius did. The lime light never shown so bright.  
"Sirius Black would you please explain your story to court, explain your actions from the night of the murder of James Potter and Lilian Evans to now." Sirius stood in front of the court, everyone sitting and staring at him bug eyes, patience running thin. Harry had escorted himself to the deepest, dustiest corner of his oak chair. As his parents names were being read out loud by the rail thin Lane Reeds, he closed his eyes... pressing the warn tears from the crease of his eyes. The youthful smiling, faces parents came into his mind... and he saw them in the darkness where no one... no one in the room, or in world could see what Harry was seeing now. He felt tenderly home.  
"Well, it all started when we were sitting down for dinner. We were at James's house..." Sirius spoke smoothly letting the story drip slowly into the veins.  
Harry eased himself into a half sleep, half awake trance. He saw them there... a well sized house with "Godric Hollow" strung above the door. It was a warm house with a fire lighted living room... the same one Harry remember dreaming about so many nights ago. In the kitchen was a simply set table. Lily, James, Sirius, Angelica, Remus, Peter, Seri and Harry (in a hand crafted pine high chair) sat around a table of warm food and cheerful laughter. It froze in Harry's heart as though this same laughter would never be heard again. He knew this moment... he knew it from tiny ears and the tiny eyes of his one year old self. Halloween decoration where dancing around the house... it was nearing the beginning.  
"It was raining, softly and steadily. There was a knock on the door and James just finished his Japanese Golfer joke and Lily excused herself to answer the door, a smile on her face. I miss that smile." Sirius stopped to whip a single tear off his cheek. "I figured out why James fell in love with her... her smile, her heart, she was full of adventure."  
Harry saw her stand to answer the door... that smile on her face. He remembered from 15 years ago. Dumbledore didn't wait for the door to be answered. He opened it and brought a chilled wind and rain into the house. Harry let out a wail... everything changed in that moment.  
"Harry, what's wrong baby?" James leaned over his wife's chair and held Harry's little hand. Harry looked at him and his eyes swelled in tears yet again. Seri pet his head softly.  
Lily came back into view... everything in the room got cold. Dumbledore stood behind her. "What happened Albus?" James demanded. Peter, Remus, Sirius, James, Angelica all stood in readiness.  
"There has been news." Dumbledore said solemnly.  
"He then told us that Voldemort was after James and Lily. At that time the dinner party was over. I took Seri and Angelica under my arms and we left. Remus and Peter left right after us. The only ones to hear the news were Harry, James and Lily." Sirius trailed off.  
"Do you remember it Harry?" Ron whispered.  
Harry jumped out of his trance.  
"Of course not Ron, he was one!"  
"I..." Harry slummed back down and closed his eyes. "I do...."  
Ron looked at him in deep amazement but Harry ignored him. "What news?" James said slowly, preparing for the impact.  
Lily picked up Harry, who was silent now, and held him close to her chest.  
"Someone very close to you is feed the dark side information." Dumbledore said in a whisper. "And Trawnley she... she said something... about Harry."  
"Harry? What about my baby?" Lily almost screamed.  
"That he will be the down fall of the dark lord and the darkness." Dumbledore said more triumphantly.  
"Well, that's great!" James said a proud smile on his face.  
"No...no... not if he finds out about it," Dumbledore sat down and shook his head. "He knows and now is more eager to find you, Lily and now your son."  
"Oh James." Lily cried, falling to her knees, pressing Harry's dark mop into the nap of her neck.  
"Later the next day James sent me an urgent owl to meet him somewhere." Sirius told the court. Harry fluttered his eyes open, this part of the tale un known to him. "He asked me to meet him in an old hide out of mine." Sirius sighed and grinned. "After I ran away from home I stayed with the Potters and once I turned 17 I bought myself a dingy apartment a block or two away from the Potter's manor. It wasn't much, but it was mine. A few years earlier the complex has been condemned by the muggles and was about to fall apart at any stringing blow of wind. I met his in my old apartment. The door fell off the hinges when I opened it and inside was Dumbledore and James sitting at my old kitchen table.  
"'Why here?' I asked them. James said because no one except it and neither muggle nor wizard would come close. Dumbledore also safe proved the house. James asked me to be his Secret Keeper. Dumbledore and James got in a fuss and I stayed out of it. The whole matter depressed me and I didn't want to get too deep into it. James said he trusted no one more than he did me; that I would die rather than give him over. Dumbledore shoved a piece of parchment into James's hand and did something I've never seen Dumbledore do. He turned on heel and stormed out of the room.  
"I turned to James and he force a James-Potter-this-is-going-to-be- fun grin. He wasn't fooling me though." Sirius sighed and bowed his head. "I could see it dancing behind his eyes... he was scared, hell who wouldn't be! This wasn't a Hogwarts prank that at worst we could get expelled for, this was a dangerous game that wouldn't just cost us our own lives but Harry's, Lily's, Seri's, Angelica's..." Sirius whipped his face and gazed up at Seri who was sitting on the edge of her chair, holding Charlie's hand with both of hers.  
Harry whipped his eyes and turned away form Ron and Hermione.  
"Continue," Lane said, looking at the Quick Quills repeat what Sirius was saying.  
"We left my old flat and made our way to James's. It was sunny and bright outside when I arrived and twenty minutes later it was gray and the tip toe of raining. The sky, the heavens knew." Sirius paused. "When we got to Lily and Harry she already knew what was going on."  
Harry almost fainted into his chair. Sirius drowned out and his eyes rolled back.  
"James..." Lily whispered.  
"Where's Harry?" James said urgently.  
Baby Harry came stumbling into the hall on unsteady feet. "Dad-de." He cried joyfully.  
James gave Harry a painful, proud grin. "Come here son," James knelt down and Harry moved treacherously into his arms.  
"Tat good dad-de?" Harry asked.  
"It was great Harry, it was great." Harry gave a full mouth grin showing off growing baby teeth.  
Lily whipped her eyes and gave Sirius a hug. "Oh Sirius, are you sure you want to do this?"  
Taken aback at first Sirius eased into the hug and hugged Lily back resting his chin on top of her autumn hair that smelled of sweet lemons. "I'd do anything for you and your family Lils."  
"But you have a family too!" Lily snapped sadly. "You and they could be killed!"  
Sirius dropped his arm from around Lily. "Angelica... Seri..."  
Sirius plummeted into a chair and looked shocked. "I can't James... I just can't... what about..." he looked down at his feet.  
"They are your family Sirius, never doubt that!" Lily screamed kneeling down to him, taking his large rough hands in his. "You love Angel and she loves you! Seri worships you like a father and you would do anything for her!"  
Sirius stole his hands back and whipped his eyes. "James, I can't endanger them... you know that. I am sorry."  
'I understand mate," James said softly. Harry was fallen asleep in his arm and Lily under his arm, her arms around his waist."  
"Dumbledore?" Lily suggested.  
"No, he's angry with us right now." James answered.  
"Why?" Lily asked.  
"Never mind that."  
"Remus?"  
"We can't risk it, I'd like to believe it but what if he's part of the Dark Order... you know the werewolf thing and all." Sirius muttered.  
"Peter then, it's brilliant!" James exclaimed.  
"No one would except poor, dump, weak Peter!" Harry heard a squeaky voice say sharply with an evil laugh to follow. Harry began to cry.  
The vision with smoky black and only faint images where seen.  
"It's him!" James screamed. "Lily take Harry and run!"  
"James, I won't leave you!" Lily clung to James, Harry crying in his highchair."  
"Lily, do it!" James yelled at her. "Save Harry!"  
Lily was weeping furiously. "Oh James, I love you so much." She whimpered. She threw her arm around his neck and kissed him, deeply.  
James shoved her away, his eyes fearful. "Run my love, run."  
Lily gave him one more kiss, scoped up Harry and ran from the room.  
Harry jumped to his feet in the court, his glasses flying off his face. "RUN DAD! DON'T BE A HARD ASS!"  
"HARRY!" Sirius jumped the table and grabbed Harry at the shoulders. "What happened?"  
There were flashes of light in the back ground... photographers.  
Harry was sweaty and shaking, his eyes glased.  
"SILENCE!" Mr. Weasley commanded the court. "Sirius, take Harry to the jury room." Sirius obeyed. "All cameras will be turned into the Minister officials, if you refused to co-operate there will be a week in Azkaban as punishment and if one word is written about Harry's tantrum you will be messing with me personally!"  
The jury door closed. "Calm down Harry, it was just a dream, a bad dream."  
"Sit him down Sirius." Evan said.  
"What?"  
Evan directed Harry to a chair and sat him down. He was white and clammy.  
"Tell me what you saw."  
"NO!" Sirius screamed. "Don't make him do this."  
"I saw... mum and dad... before He came." Harry muttered.  
"He need to remember it Sirius, he needs to know what happened." Evan ordered.  
Sirius, feeling himself grow faint, leaned against the wall and slid down collapsing into his open palms.  
"Tell me exactly what you saw Harry," Evan said smoothly.  
Harry gripped his fists and slid down in the chair. He was still shaking.  
"Darkness," he described. "He was there and dad told mum to leave with me." The picture came back to his eyes. "She wouldn't go; she clung to him and kissed him." Their kiss flashed lovingly in his mind. "Dad pushed her away and ordered her to go and..."  
Harry fainted and slid out of the chair, hitting his head on the seat. Sirius jumped to his feet and the last thing Harry heard was Sirius, "HARRY! HOLY SHIT DON'T DIE!"  
  
"Harry," Ginny said softly. He was back in the Order lying in Seri's Gryffindor bed, the covers where warm.  
"Where am I?" He tried to raise his head but didn't have the strength. Bandages were wrapped tightly about his head and his glass where on the bed table.  
Ginny place the oval specs on his nose and tucked them behind his ears. "You can talk to me you know?" She said after a moment of silence.  
Harry stared at her, almost past her. After he blacked out the story finished and it was just coming back to him; he was soaking it up like a freaking sponge!  
"Tell me Harry," she said in a concern voice.  
Harry look into her eyes this time. Was innocent little Virginia Weasley ready for the rudest awaking of her life? Was losing two of her brother ground for her readiest to know the God awful hatred and torture of the world? Could he trust her?  
Harry made a quick decision and looked to the door. Ginny read him like a book, got up and gently shut the door.  
"Tell me Harry," Ginny stopped, choosing words. "I want to know."  
Harry breathed in deeply and closed his eyes, either trying to picture his mother's face or blink to tears from view Harry didn't know. "It was him." Harry said softly. He left room automatically for dramatic "WHO?!" like Ron and Hermione always did, but Ginny just stared at him intently praying for him to go on. "Dad screamed at mum to take me a run, but she wouldn't leave his side. She wouldn't leave. Finally, he shoved her away and, in tears, she picked me up and ran from the front room. I saw dad looking back at us, tear streaking his face, fear in his eyes, wand gripped tightly and his whole body shaking." Harry froze, whipping his face with the sheet. "That was the last time I ever saw my dad alive."  
Ginny stared at him in the same way as before. Her eyes hardened as though telling Harry she would not cry, not in front of him. "Mum ran up the stairs running from room to room. She was quivering and her hands were tightly around me. I had silent tears in my eyes, somehow knowing, even at that age, that I shouldn't scream out. In my heart I knew that was the last time I would ever see my dad. I heard screaming and shout of Latin before the floor board. My mum would whisper a painful 'James' ever time she heard him call out for her. She started to go back once. She laid me in my crib, the furthest room down that hall. She wrapped me tightly in my blanket and draped a white sheet to hide me. Mum started out the door and then I heard her stop and then I knew why. All the screaming and shouting stopped and there was an erring silence. I could feel it... dad was dead."  
Ginny took a wad of sheet and gripped it tightly in her hands, but she wavered none in the face.  
"I began to cry out loudly, the cold and dead feeling washed over me. Hurried footsteps came up the stairs. Mum ran from the hall, slammed the door and locked it with her wand. She came to my crib picked me up and held me closely to her chest. 'It's okay Harry, dry your tears. Your wake up and be in a better place. Shhh, my darling, shhhh.' Tear where down her cheek, wetting my hair. I closed my eyes and leaned into her, now I stopped crying. Voldemort blasted open the door.  
"'Stupid Girl!' he said in his high pitched voice. 'Look what you have done! Just give me the boy and I might let you live.' My mum gripped me tighter. 'Never,' she hissed. 'Stupid girl, I hate to call you my blood.' 'Take my blood away from me then! But isn't Harry's blood your own?' 'Partly' he said, 'and partly my enemy. Now give me the Potter!' Mum sighed and licked her lips. She placed me gently in my crib and tucked me in tightly, then gripping her wand. 'I am a Potter, take me.' She voice was haunting. 'Take me instead of Harry, please, take me instead.'"  
Ginny couldn't stop it now, she was gripping Harry's arm. "Don't go on, please." Ginny said, looking down. Tear where forming in her eyes.  
Harry nodding seeing the fear her eye now showed. He shutting his tightly and saw the last moment of his mother's life before his eyes. Then Voldemort's wand turn on him, the green the light and blood trickling down his new born face. He felt the scar appear and the snake like face of Voldemort melt into nothing before him. A blob, smelling of rotten eggs, squirmed away. Harry then began to weep, not a loud crying of a one year old, but a pitiful lonely, silent weep of someone who has lost everything before their eyes. He laid their, wrapped tightly into blue blankets and wept. He soon saw the young, panic stricken face of Sirius.  
"Oh thank God," Sirius whispered.  
"Mummy... daddy..." Harry cried softly.  
"Everything alright Harry, Uncle Sirius will take care of everything." Sirius scoped Harry up in his arms. "You can't live you life remembering this." He pointed his wand at Harry and whispered something. Harry fell asleep in his arm.  
"Sirius did it." Harry whispered.  
"Did what?" Ginny asked.  
"He fixed my memory when I was young so I wouldn't remember my parent's death. I mean I was one, able to speak some and walk... I'd remember something like that."  
Ginny wiped her eyes. "But what made the spell go away?"  
Harry looked at his hands... he first heard the whole story of his parents death when he was eleven... but he didn't remember all this, any of this. It started in his third year... when Sirius Black came back. 


	15. Till the Day I Die

Chapter Fifteen Till the Day I Die  
  
The week passed by slowly as a rolling cactus dusting the sand. Harry's thoughts jumped to various subjects while sitting through lectures from Cameron and proper apparition. Hermione was even becoming bored with the class and Harry was told by Ron, that her interest seemed to be skipping to the back of the room. His ears and cheeks turned red when he told Harry this. It was finally Friday, they had Saturday and Sunday lesson free before their last five days of lessons with Cameron.  
Ron slipped Harry a note across the aisle (they had been re-arranged... Hermione and Harry first table, Ron and Susan second.) Harry snuck in into his lap, holding Cameron's eyes till she looked away. He unfolded it and read, "Charlie said we could eat lunch with him and Seri, they're going to muggle London. Wanna go?"  
Harry scratched, "Sounds good mate." And sent it back.  
Cameron dismissed them for their hour lunch break. The Ministry provided food, some kids ate that, brought lunches from home or, their parents would take them out. Ron, Hermione, Draco (who was invited somehow) and Harry made their way to the Minister Office, now gracing the name, "Arthur Weasley."  
"Dad," Ron tapped on the door and poked his head in.  
"Come in Ron," Harry heard Mr. Weasley say, "Do you have Harry with you?"  
Ron pushed open the door and the four walked in.  
"What do you want me for sir?" Harry asked. There was a couple sitting in front of Mr. Weasley. The man had gray roots with youthful brown tips. His face had a childish grin upon it, buried in wrinkles. His bright gray eyes seemed tired, like a rubber band being stretched to much. The woman had glorious silver hair coming to her shoulders. Her face had as much age as the man with an elegant smile. Her eyes drooped and carried the came sleepy look in their ocean of clam blue.  
"Sit down, please." Mr. Weasley drew four chairs with his wand. They sat down. "Harry, Ronald, Hermione, Draco... this is Nicolas and Perenelle Flamel."  
Harry, Ron and Hermione dropped their mouths open. Draco eyed them, but shrugged up in folded arms.  
"Harry," Mr. Weasley hissed. Harry shook the shock off his face and mind and elbowed Ron and Hermione to do the same.  
"Nice to meet you," Harry said, standing up and holding out his hand.  
"A Pleasant surprise, surprise." Flamel chuckled. "Albus tells me many great thinks of you Harry, many indeed. Is it true you saved my Nellie?"  
"Nellie sir?" Hermione pushed. "Excuse my manners, I'm Hermione Granger."  
"Hermione Granger... yes, yes, the one who got in a touch of trouble with the time turner."  
Hermione flushed.  
"Nellie is my name for the Stone. I figured everything dear to me needed a name, and since my daughter, who died so young was called Nellie, I would then name the giver of live and wealth after her." Flamel said, all smug with himself.  
"She was beautiful." Perenelle sighed.  
"She died three years before I found the stone," Nicolas regretted.  
"Excuse me," Draco interrupted, "Who are you and what is the stone?"  
"The stone is many great and horrible things. It gives life and takes away the future, it gives wealth and takes away all that is important. The stone is a gift and troublesome package that of which the holder must carry on forever." Evan stood in the door way.  
"EVAN!" Flamel jumped to his feet boyishly and embraced Evan, "Long time no see friend."  
"Good friend, old friend... I missed you dearly."  
"How do you know..." Harry stuttered but he was interrupted by Dumbledore opening the door.  
"Albus, my old apprentice!" Flamel moved his greetings to Dumbledore.  
"Apprentice?" Draco asked.  
"Yes, Dumbledore worked under me his first two year out of Hogwarts. He help me find the sorcerer's stone." Flamel answered. "And the old bloke never let me pay him one knut."  
"I got all I needed." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.  
"Harry, would you come to lunch with the Flamels and myself?"  
"He was going out with us thought..." Ron blurted out, "sir."  
"It's alright Ron, he can skip today, Dumbledore needs a word with Harry... its okay."  
Dumbledore took Hermione's words as a go ahead and directed Harry out the door. Evan and the Flamels followed.  
"Oh Dumbledore," Nicolas almost giggled, "Let's go to muggle London for lunch.  
"Muggle London, are you crazy dear husband?"  
"Oh life is short my sweet, enjoy it, do what you want." Nicolas took Perenelle in his arms and as though he was a youthful 16, kissing his girlfriend, he kissed her.  
Evan smiled and led the way down the shady side of London into the gray day.  
The part of five entered a small, clean English pup and took a back booth.  
A black waitress came to their table, her bright red hair on top of her head. She has inch long lime green nails and was smacking a wad of bubble gum as she spoke.  
"What will it be?"  
Flamel looked at the menu then said. "Three cheese burgers, an apple pie, fries, a salad, bake potato and beans." He laid down the menu and stares at the waitress who dropped her mouth open wide. "Oh, I forgot my drink... a larger pop would be nice."  
The waitress still stared in disbelieve. Finally she spoke. "Are you sure grandpa, you want all that?"  
Flamel nodded and the waitress scrippled down the order.  
"The same for me," Dumbledore said quickly, almost eagerly.  
The waitress rolled her eyes and wrote it down.  
"I'll have a salad, chocolate pie, apple sauce and potato soup with a water." Perenelle said sweetly.  
"The same for me," Evan said, winking at her.  
The waitress stared at Harry, smacking her mouth rapidly.  
"I'll have a chicken club with flies and a pop." He said meekly.  
The waitress smiled at the normal order and left promising to be back with drinks.  
Flamel sat there staring at Harry, a grin on his face.  
"What's the smile for sir?" Dumbledore asked fervently.  
"You and Evan know it is polite and in manner to order the same as your superior. It's a mark of honor and agreement." Harry flushed red noticing his mistake.  
"He had no way of knowing Nick." Evan said.  
"I mean nothing wrong with it, you and Albus order the same as a mark of respect, and you sacrifice you of you choices willingly because you believe its best. Harry holds close his choices because, unlike us, he only has the few small choices to make and he makes them honestly for himself."  
"I didn't mean that at all sir," Harry whispered.  
"It's not consciously Harry, it's more your personality. You head is starting to realize things and it's pulling your heart and soul down to the truth." Flamel said softly.  
"What do you mean?"  
"Why here Nick?" Dumbledore asked.  
"Because it's fit. Harry you did not choose to be famous Harry Potter, you did not choose to have both your parents dead and you didn't choose to have the responsibility and destiny you do. To you a choice is and choice and you know first hand that it should not be taken lightly. So while Evan and Dumbledore where expressing respect and manors you are taking advantages of one more choice God gave you to make."  
The waitress brought their drinks and Harry took his quickly, letting the cool liquid flow down his throat.  
"Enough of this talk," Nicolas said. "Harry, I have two gifts for you."  
"For me?" Harry asked.  
"Yes, from Perenelle and me. Firstly we give you the remainder of our life. We are in your possession. Our lives have been long and rich but know we wish to die fro a greater cause then fading away and finally rejoin of lovely daughter."  
"You are going to be part of the order?" Dumbledore asked a grin on his face.  
"More so," Nick said with a wink. "Seri has told me of her engagement to young Mr. Weasley and wishes to take the year off teaching. I will step in for her as the DA teacher. That is of course if you agree?"  
Dumbledore nodded fiercely. "Great, I can be close to Harry. Second I want to give you this." Nicolas Flamel held of a small glass lighting bolt. Inside was what looked like the cleanest, freshest water Harry had every thought of. It was on a gold braded chain. "This is your early birthday present. Put it on."  
Harry willing took it and put it over his head and grinned. The cold glass touched his chest and he felt a surge of power, of courage, of strength. It was the oddest, light hearted feeling he had ever felt. It was as though all the clouds that were blocking his sunny day blew away and tomorrow was insight. "Wow." He breathed.  
"That Harry is the last of what is left of the Elixir of Life. You need not drink to have life, only keep there about you neck and your heart will feel the power." Perenelle explained.  
"Thanks," Harry said, a smile on his face.  
  
"He gave you what?" Hermione hissed beside him. Harry was speechless until right then. All these words and emotion came to him and Hermione sitting so close to him, eager to hear made his urge more, but sitting in the Apparition class he knew to keep quiet.  
"Mr. Potter, do you know your heritage?" Cameron said.  
"Err... not really." Harry stuttered.  
"Italian, I'd say. Your eyes look it and you have that dark hair. How about you take a trip to Italy?" Cameron's eyes pulled Harry to his feet.  
"Where," Harry sighed.  
"Venice or Verona.... Pick one."  
"Vernice..." Harry said slowly, thinking about his answer.  
"Concentrate, image where you want to go... the water roads, St. Mark's... see it Harry...."  
Harry closed his eyes, he was used to this. Cameron always demonstrated with him almost like she was looking for a flaw or for him to back down... but Harry found apparition came with ease.  
"Harry, hear is some muggle, Italian money, a lire. Just in case you need something. If you make it stay for a coffee." Cameron laughed and Harry disappeared.  
He could hear the water, sloshing against the buildings and docks. He heard people talking and chattering. And finally he felt cold.  
Harry had landed right in on of the rivers.  
"AHHH!" he screamed. His glass sank below him. "This just sucks!" He dove back in the water and retrieved his glasses.  
When he emerged again a small crowd was around the water. "Are you okay?" A rough man asked. He extended a hand and pulled Harry from the waves.  
"Yeah fine... slipped on the..." Harry eyed his surroundings, "the bridge."  
"Ay, I see." The man said.  
Harry messed with his wet hair and wiped his face.  
"Ay, what that?" The man asked, pointing at his forehead.  
"Scar..." Harry responded automatically.  
"Are you... Harry Potter?" The man whispered.  
Harry whipped his head around to see the man. "Are you?..."  
"Yes, a wizard... Harry... oh Harry it is an honor." The pudgy man got on his knees and kissed Harry's dirty tennis shoes.  
"Sir..." Harry retrieved his foot. "Sir, please."  
"Papa, get up!" a boy around Harry age cried. "Sorry, about him, he drinks in the morning."  
"Leave me be you stupid boy, this is..." The man lowered his voice... "Harry Potter."  
"Potter? Did you say famous Harry Potter? The one with the scar and the destiny and all. The Harry Potter?" The boy asked sarcastically.  
"Yes Prosper!" The man exclaimed.  
"Well don't you think the poor fellow gets sick of people kissing his feet and talking to him when he doesn't even know their name? Get up man, stopped being stupid. Leave the neighbor in peace and be on thy way. I pray thee never act so naïve again, yet I know soon future will hold. Leave Harry Potter in peace and be back to work." Prosper said. Harry took a good look at him. He was as tall as Ron with dirty blond hair and deep purple eyes. "I am sorry Harry."  
Harry grinned caught in an awkward situation, "So your name is Prosper?"  
"Yes..." the boy looked around. He looked about Harry's age. "Harry, I know you hate hearing this, but you must leave, this is dangerous... that old wizard caused quit a commotion."  
"I can take care of my self..." Harry snapped.  
"I trust that Harry, but here and now is not the time to stand face to face with destiny. Go home, go to school... the end of the year will tell."  
"The end of the year..."  
"Harry, please tell me pay attention... isn't it odd how everything happens in the end of the school year... I'm not a future teller but I can read the signs. Something will happen on Halloween, I'm sorry... and..."  
Harry was staring at him blankly. No one had ever said anything... but it made since... he had a timeline! "And what?" Harry begged.  
"I can't tell you... your destiny has already been told... you just have to learn how to read it and then fulfill it."  
"You know how it will end?" Harry grinned with relief.  
"Yes, I do."  
"How? Will Voldemort fall? Will I destroy all the evil in the world?" Until now, Harry only dared to think these things... that evil would be destroyed, that Voldemort would fall... it was all a precious dream.  
Prosper gave a bitter sweet smile, "Yes Harry, Voldemort will fall and along with him so will all the evil in the world. I beg you how Harry Potter, leave."  
Harry, grinning to himself. Life, at that very moment, was worth living. He apparated back to class. 


	16. Hermione's Reading

Chapter Sixteen Hermione's Reading  
  
"Harry, you are all wet!" Ron cheered while they walked out or the Ministry heading home. Sirius was leading the way, holding his chest out with his new found proud freedom.  
Harry chuckled and waved Ron off. He stepped ahead to walk by Sirius. "Did you get registered today?"  
Sirius nodded, knowing what Harry spoke of. Sirius had to register himself as an animagius. All the mischief and boyish fun was gone from the concept. Harry saw in his eyes that while all the boyhood memories had now vanished Sirius had finally grown up. His eyes were guiding and he looked to have known what was up next.  
"Did you... did you tell them about me?" Harry whispered.  
"Mr. Weasley knows Harry, and you are registered just not to the public. It is for your safety." Sirius padded Harry on the shoulder. "You're almost taller than me mate."  
Hermione giggled, "Sirius, he is taller."  
Sirius faked a scold, but behind it was an old playful grin.  
They got back to the House of Black and where welcomed by Ginny running out to them.  
"YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW HAPPY I AM TOMORROW IS YOUR ALL'S LAST DAY AT THE STUPID CLASS! I HAVE BEEN BORED ALL WEEK!" Ginny planted a large kiss on Ron's red cheek and escorted herself back in the house under Harry's and Ron's arm.  
Ron snatched away from her, "Ginny, get yourself another boyfriend, please. I hate you being so touchy feely around Harry and me."  
Hermione coughed and grinned from Ginny to Harry. Harry messed with his hair and gently removed his arm, making Ginny's drop. Hermione smiled, "Gin, hang out with the guys and be touchy feely all you like. I want to finish my book."  
"Hermione," Draco pleaded. Harry glared at him... since when did he call her that? "It the summer, stay down her with us and read that stupid book later."  
Hermione turned on the steps and looked at him, "Draco Malfoy, it would do your small brain good to read at least one book. I enjoy reading so leave me alone and let me read you flea bitten git." She marched the rest of the way up the stairs.  
Ron and Miley had slipped out of the room and Draco scurried up the stairs after Hermione, but slamming the boys dorm instead of following her into the girl's dorm.  
"What do you want to do this afternoon Harry?"  
Harry shrugged and fell into the couch with a sigh.  
"Ginny, are you mad with me?"  
Ginny sat down beside him leaving enough room for someone to sit between them if they wished. "No," she whispered.  
"Then why do you glare at me sometimes and act like my best friend other times?"  
"Because sometime I think about it and kissing you makes me sick."  
Harry's insides twisted. "What am I nothing to you Harry? I thought it meant something, but not to famous Harry Potter, he's probably kissed thousands of girls."  
"Ginny, that not it at all."  
"Then sometimes I think it's no big deal, it's not like it was my first kiss anyway. We're friends and some silly moment shouldn't get in our way. I'm torn Harry."  
"Torn with what?"  
Ginny blushed and scudded closer to Harry and bowed her head. "Kissing you the other day reminded me of why I once loved you, I brought back an old crush..."  
Harry felt his stomach completely disappear. He ignored the footsteps coming closer to the door. He pulled Ginny to him and closed his eyes.  
  
"HARRY POTTER I'LL KILL YOU!"  
Harry and Ginny jumped apart as a red faced Ron glared at them from the opening of the drawing room. "He wasn't hurting me..." Ginny pleaded stepping to touch Ron's arm.  
"Get away from me, go up stairs before I have to tell your other brothers." Ron hissed though gritted teeth.  
"At least my other brothers don't treat me like a child! It's always been you and Percy who've done that." Ginny sniff when she finished and stormed out leaving Ron even madder.  
"THAT'S MY SISTER!" Ron growled.  
"That's also one of my friends!" Harry shot back.  
"Hermione and I are friends, you don't see us snogging!"  
"That only because she won't snog you. I would bet money you would if she would let you."  
"Don't talk about things you don't know!" Ron screamed.  
"WHY DOES EVERYONE TREAT MY LIKE A CHILD! I KNOW YOU, RON, I KNOW YOU AND HERMIONE AND SERI AND SIRIUS AND GINNY AND DRACO EVEN, I KNOW VOLDEMORT, I KNOW PETER, I KNOW A GOOD AMOUNT ABOUT JUST ABOUT EVERYONE SO WHY IN THE WORLD DOES EVERYONE TREAT ME LIKE I HAVE KNOW FREAKING IDEA! DO YOU THINK GOING THOUGH ALL THE SH!T I'VE GONE THOUGH IN MY LIFE THAT I WOULD STILL BE A NAÏVE LITTLE SCRAWNY KID WITH SCABBY KNEES AND BROKEN GLASSES? DID YOU ACTULLY THINK THAT YOU COULD KEEP A SEVEN YEAR CRUSH A SECRET FROM ME? I'VE LEARNED THINGS, I'VE GROWN UP. GINNY IS 16 YEARS OLD, SHE IS NO CHILD. YOU ARE THE CHILD, ATLEAST YOU ACT IT!"  
"You are almost 17 though Harry, you'll hurt my baby sister."  
"I have the possibility of hurting everyone," Harry moaned, "You and Hermione are targets to bait me, Sirius and Seri and Patrice, and Patrick and Mark and Aunt Petunia are all my family, I risk their lives. Hell, if I don't kill Voldemort by the end of the year, my life and my action effect everyone-muggle and wizard alike."  
Miley was standing in the door way, her lips pressed tight together. "Harry you are lucky they are having a Ministry Meeting or everyone in the house would have heard you screaming. I advise both of you to grow up." She turned on heel and marched down the corridor Draco grinning boyishly and following after her.  
"Draco and Miley?" Ron questioned.  
"Draco fancies Hermione and Miley fancies you." Harry breathed, getting up to leave the room.  
"Well, who does Hermione fancy?" Ron blurted out.  
"That would ruin the fun Weasley," Harry gabbed as though he and Ron where never on first name bases.  
  
That night Harry couldn't sleep, he desperately wanted to because a nice peaceful sleep would be good on his throbbing scar and the fight he and Ron had. Harry was almost certain that when they woke up the next morning for their "Apparition Graduation" and Harry's 17th birthday that everything would be forgotten. Yet, sleep wouldn't come. Harry stood up and rubbed his jet black hair making it as untidy as possible and crept out of the boy's dorm, Ron softly yelling at Harry to go faster and grab the snitch.  
He started down the stairs when he heard something, a pot clashed in the kitchen and someone hissed. Harry, curious about who else couldn't sleep, slipped into the kitchen quietly.  
"'lo Harry," Remus Lupin said. "A cup of tea?"  
"Is this a midnight meeting?" Harry asked, nodding to Lupin.  
"Not quite sure what it is exactly," Seri answered, "It's not exactly a midnight meeting as it is one o'clock in the morning and Hermione told us to meet her down her. Maybe she's still asleep."  
"No, no, I'm here," Hermione whispered, carrying a large book under her arm and a candle stick. "I was in the drawing room finishing up my book."  
"What is this about?" Sirius asked, gulping his tea.  
"Well, on the way home from the Ministry Harry was telling Ron and me about his little run in today with an Italian boy."  
Remus and Sirius were very interested and Harry told them everything that Prosper had told him.  
"That's logical thinking." Remus nodded.  
"Anyway, it made me think about the possible other clue the next year has given. I couldn't think of any and sometime reading helps me open up and to ideas, you know." She turned to Remus to the agreement as he was the only other avid reader amongst them. "Well, the book I was reading is one that Molly sent me when they went to Egypt. The one story that got my attention was the one about Osiri."  
"That the one where his brother kills him and his son avenges his death." Seri answer smartly, "But what has that got to do with Harry?"  
"Nothing with Harry, with you all. Sirius, Remus, James, Lily, Peter, Angelica and you Seri."  
Sirius gulped at Angelica's name, "Go on."  
"Well, Osiris was killed by his brother Seth and thrown the river. Isis, under Nephthy instructions, collected her husband's parts and resurrected him into heaven. Horus, Osiris son killed Seth and because ruler." Hemrione summarized. She pulled out a pressed piece of parchment and quill and became write everyone's names form the story down. "Nut and Geb where the parents of the brothers; Nut would be Lily, the mother looking out fro everyone and Geb would be James and the father of the feud just like Lily protecting Harry made Voldemort disappear and James's death started the down fall of the Marauders."  
Everyone nodded to show they understood. "Angel would be Osiris because she was betrayed and killed by her brother friend Peter or Seth." Sirius pressed his lips together and Seri gripped his shoulder. "Sirius you are Isis, which fits because it's your middle name and Isis was the goddess of the star Sirius. You are the lover left behind and with the guide of Nephthys, Remus, learn to overcome the disaster and find something else to live for. And Seri you are Horus and you avenge your parent's death."  
"So I'm the one to kill Peter... is that all this tells us?"  
"Actually no, it tells us much more. It tells us Peter is not part of the Dark order because he is able to die and that he will die in June... the dog days of summer when the Nile floods, that's when the star Sirius is highest and the summer is hottest."  
"Hermione, you are... how did you... what are you?" Remus gasped.  
"I try," Hermione grinned. 


	17. The Coming

Chapter Seventeen The Coming  
  
The next morning Harry, Ron, Draco, Miley, Susan, Neville and Hermione sat promptly in the front row of the apparition class. The morning had been quiet easy. Everything had been down with magic, Harry and Neville made breakfast and made all their beds. Being the oldests of the group and it being their 17th birthday, he could legal use magic. Harry was awed by it and Molly Weasley talked his ear off of all the crazy things her sons did on their 17th birthday.  
But now they were here, sitting rank in the last day of class. "As it is," Cameron started, "I am but a teacher, not a Ministry worker. You all shall report to the Level Six. Now, Harry, Hermione, receiving top credit will take you tests first. Report their quickly and report back here when you are finished."  
"So is that it?" Draco snapped as Hermione and Harry stood to leave. "We have been competing just to get to take our tests first, that's a loud of crap!"  
Hermione sniggered, and then stopped when Harry looked at her. "That is kind of a let down," she covered.  
Harry and Hermione stepped quietly into the elevator, cramming beside a frumpy old witch with silver-blue hair and a tall boney man lacking the natural amount of hair.  
"...and didn't you hear about that uproar?" the man cackled, slowly inhaling precious air.  
"Fudge being dragged out like a baby, wailing for his mom." The witch replied.  
"Excuse me, but where you actually there... I mean in the court room?" Hermione asked.  
"Of course not deary, it was packed court room, I didn't even plan on going. I was getting my cousins wand scanned for curses, he's a little shady, and the Ministry workers where dragging him right out to the visitor's exit."  
The man hooted as though the spectacle still amused him as though it was the first time he heard it. "Oh, and I was there when Dumbledore announced Weasley would be Minister."  
"Level seven, Department of Magical Games and sports, incorporating and British and Irish Quidditch League Headquarters, Official Gobstones Club and Ludicrous Office." Said a cool female voice.  
"I yelled and cheered the loudest I did." The man went on after the voice died.  
"I'm so sure you did," the witch splat, "65 years of bones and flesh screaming the loudest... come on. "  
"Harry Potter wasn't there," he croaked, ignoring her comment. "I heard that Weasley's youngest son is best mates with him..."  
"Level six, Department of Magical Transport, incorporating the Floo Network Authority, Broom Regulatory Control, Portkey Office, and Apparition Test Control." Harry pressed his hair over his forehead as Hermione dragged him off the lift.  
"Bye dears," the witch called, "Good luck on your test."  
"Yeah, and say hello to Harry Po..." but the door closed before he could finish.  
"Harry, did that scar you?" Hermione asked innocently.  
"Maaaabeeee," Harry exasperated.  
Hermione giggled and tucked her arm under Harry's. "This is just... wonderful. We're all coming of age; we are about to take our apparition test and next June..."  
Harry gulped thinking about the next school year. What would be there for him this year? What next death or birth would he live through? What will his young aged eyes witness?  
"...school will be over and we will be starting our lives, really starting. Going out, having a jobs, responsibility..."  
He never though of it... what was after Hogwarts? Where would he live? Where would he work? Would Voldemort still be after him? A cold chill ran up his spin.  
"...Harry, are you listening to me?" Hermione asked.  
"What? Oh yeah, I'm listening." Harry messed with his hair. "We're here."  
Harry pushed open the last door on the left. A window was blowing frost bitten air and snow at them. "Harry, we're underground...and it's... JULY!"  
Harry chuckled, reminding Hermione that she should read, "Ministry, the History."  
"Honestly Harry," she sighed.  
"Wait just a moment... wait, hang on..." a tiny little wizard ordered, hiding behind a larger desk, digging for something.  
"Ah, yes, yes, Potter Harry and Granger Hermione... odd names." The name showed his face. It was small and wrinkled with big round specials thick as ice. His hair was fading and his robes bright blue. His shoes graced the wrong feet and his socks didn't match. "Oh, that's right, the last name is put first... so it would be... let's see... Hermione Granger and... no don't tell me, you're Harry Potter." The wizard flashed them a toothless smile before the name sunk in. "Harry... Harry Potter."  
"yessir," Harry slurred.  
"Well, don't think I'll pass you just for your name," the wizard chuckled and said no one. Harry grinned. "My name is Dr. Rowling Order of Merlin Fifth class and leader of the Diplopic Laughing Club. First part of the test is to identify the safety procedures that must be taken each time you apparate."  
Hermione raised her hand, but Harry answered, "Have your wand with you, don't change destinations midway, and don't eat while apparating and..." Harry numbered them off on his fingers.  
"And never into someone." Hermione finished for him.  
"Very good, I never have trouble with my first two. Now, I am going to give you Hermione, Harry's certificate and Harry, you Hermione's. I want you to apparate to the Leakey Caldron. When both of you are there, give the other their diploma and treat yourself to a nice lunch on the Ministry."  
Hermione grinned, her stomach rumbling softly.  
  
"Okay, Hermione, ladies first... your fellow class mates should join you for lunch soon."  
"Bye Harry," Hermione disappear in a second.  
"Harry, you next... I'll 'send you' back down to get the others." Dr. Rowling flicked his wand and almost real looking Hermione and Harry's appeared out of then air. "Go back down to see Cameron." He whispered to the dummies. They walked, softly taking to each other about chocolate frogs. They acted like the real Harry and Hermione, walked everything.  
"Cool," Harry muttered.  
"A simple little spell Dumbledore taught me my seventh year. Go on Potter, you and Miss Granger have passed, no go on."  
"Thanks," Harry said and he was gone from the small little office in a second, landing on two shaky feet second later on a dusty wood floor in the Leaky Caldron.  
"Here Harry," Hermione jammed the parchment into Harry's hand and ripped another roll from his robe pocket.  
"OOOO, we can apparate now... wait a minute..." Hermione stated reading the bottom. "'We are please to info you that you have passed the Ministry of Magic course and test for Apparition and Disapparition. Please note that Appariting and Disappariting is considered magic therefore may not be used, besides getting home after your exam, till you of the legal age of seventeen.' That sucks!" Hermione yelled.  
"Hermione," Harry gasped laughing at her.  
"Oh shut up Harry, it doesn't effect you, you're seventeen today, but my birthday isn't till November." She collapsed down into the chair closest to her.  
"Hello 'Arry Pott'r," Tom said. "Whom might this be?"  
"I'm Hermione Granger," Hermione huffed.  
"I pleased," Tom jarred. What can I get you for lunch, it's on the Ministry.  
Harry and Hermione ordered as Ron and Susan dropped in.  
"This is lovely!" A Ravenclaw squeaked, "I can apparate everywhere now!"  
Ron nodded nicely, ripping a meat off a chicken leg fiercely. "Are you seventeen yet?"  
The girl turned to Hermione, her smile fading fast, "Not till the end of September... why?"  
"You can't apparate till you turn seventeen." Hermione jeered.  
"DARNGIT!" the girl cried, a group moaning at these words.  
"I turned 17 last May," Ron said with a grin, moving on to his chocolate pudding.  
"Why haven't you been doing magic then?" Harry asked, feeling guiltily for just now learning his best friends' birthdays. They knew his... obviously, everyone who every read a book did. But it had never hit him to ask what their birthday was. He patted his robe pocket for his coin pouch. Nothing but a knut.  
"I don't know any spells that could help. I have lit a few fires and hexed Draco a time or two... but mom says if I don't take advantage of my age then she wouldn't make me do much work... I listened well. Besides, what else could I do to top the Charlie and Bill seventeen birthday stories she has. You heard her." Complete a total humiliation and failure filled his freckled face.  
The Leaky Cauldron slowly thinned. Hermione, Ron, Harry, Draco, Neville and Susan all left at different times.  
It was a beautiful day outside. They got home just in time to see everyone leaving the house from the Order meeting. "Happy Birthday" was strung across the entrance. Mrs. Weasley had made a muggle barbeque in the kitchen. There was a big cake reading, "Happy seventeen Harry and Neville."  
All that night they ate (some more), talked, laughed and all the stress and worries that have been storming over the house since it was reclaimed last year after ten years of nothing was lifted.  
"Harry," Sirius said, a cup full a fire whisky in his hand and Harry under his arm. "I have a present..." he hic-upped. "For you... come on."  
Harry and Sirius escaped the downstairs part to Sirius's room. "It's over there..." His pointed a shaky hand to the corned. Sirius, unable to stand on his own, leaned against the wall.  
Harry drew a big hat box toward him. It wasn't wrapped but dusty, like it's hadn't been moved for some time. Sirius encouraged him to open it, so, slowly he did. Inside was a set of robes with a ruby and gold embalm on them. He expected them to be Gryffindor robes, but instead of a G it was a P.  
"They were his dad's... I mean your grandfather's. James wore them when he married Lily, I mean your mom. But James didn't like the family name once he found out... it didn't mean much to him but a name after that."  
"After what?"  
"He packed them up and hid them up in a closest. After... that night, I got everything I thought James would want you to have and hid it here." Sirius ignored Harry's question.  
Harry laid the stack of robes aside and looked in the bottom of the box. There was a family photo, James about Harry age, 17 standing with his parents in front of the house. His arms where crossed and his dad had his arm around James's shoulder's.  
"That house burnt down..." Sirius hic-upped again, "A year after that picture was taken."  
Harry nodded. His life was in the past... his parents, his family... his heart, all in the past. The only connection with the past he had now was the drunk behind him and some half man half animal outside somewhere howling at the moon. No... Harry thought to himself, no... that's not right... why... why am I thinking that?  
He dug deeper past plastic and tissue; a set of plates with the Potter symbol and a big deep ruby ring. It seemed to big for Harry's ring finger. He slid it to try. "SIRIUS!"  
"What?"  
"The ring... it... shrunk!" Harry tired to pull it off but it wouldn't move.  
"That's a boy Harry," Sirius grinned wider, his cup was now empty but he seemed more sober at the moment. "That is the Potter Family ring. You are the last heir... well, not the last... but the eldest son of the Potters."  
"But Patrick is older than me..." Harry started.  
"But you're grandfather is the eldest son... not Patrick's. You see?" Sirius said. "James wore that ring... only for awhile... right after his father died. I... I took it off of him." Sirius said, wrapping his hands. "That's how I first knew he was dead... the ring was back to the huge ring size... it fits only to the one who should be wearing it... and you can't take it off till you die... or you pass it on to your eldest son."  
Harry nodded, looking at the ring in admiration. He did feel a little... well, girly, but he felt power, somehow connected to something, something much bigger than the seventeen year old boy standing in his shoes.  
"Harry you coming of age," Sirius said suddenly.  
"I thought I was of age..." Harry said, grinning. He felt power in himself now, he was 17... no more shying away from using magic at any time... this was him... magic was part of the muggle and the wizarding world now. Not a wizard in training or a muggle in the summer but Harry James Potter, the wizard.  
"Well, yes... you are but... you learn a lot more... in you seventh year, you most of all." Sirius said nodding.  
Harry knew his godfather had a deeper meaning but didn't push to know it. It seemed Harry had learned to respect people when they told him he didn't want to know... the horrors he knew now he wished he didn't know... if only he would have listened, stop playing hero... now he was forced to playing hero.  
  
Harry woke the next morning earlier than anyone. He pulled on his new Potter robes that fit him perfectly and stuffed his money bag and wand into his pocket. He was about to shut the dormitory door when Hedwig flew to his shoulder.  
"Good morning Hedwig," He whispered, walking out the door with the owl on his shoulder. "Have a nice night?"  
Hedwig hooted and pecked Harry's ear. She stuck out her leg. "Thanks," he took the letter and walk out of the house with her on his shoulder. It was his Hogwarts letter.  
He pocketed it and walked down to Neil's house. Hedwig flew from his shoulder and circled around the roof tops in the riding sunlight.  
He scribbled a note to Sirius that he was going to Diagon Alley to get his school stuff. And Hedwig picked it up, on her way back to 12 Grimmauld Place.  
First day of freedom," Harry grinned and disapparated to the Leaky Cauldron.  
"Good mornin' 'Arry." Tom said, cleaning the cup. "What can I get you? You can have a fire whiskey now that your seventeen."  
Harry was shook but shook his head, just buying a butter beer and a pumpkin cake to go.  
He disapparated to Diagon Alley, not wanting to ask how to get there the muggle way, he had forgotten. Everyone was just starting to opening up their shops. He waved to Fred or George, who, with messy hair, waved to him with a big yawn.  
"Where's mum?" they asked  
"I came by myself," Harry said brightly.  
"That's right, you turned 17 yesterday. Congrates on your freedom. Come by later for a free joke." Fred winked.  
Harry nearly skipped down the paved road eating his cake and sipping his butter beer. He was finished when he got to the leaning Bank at the end. He collected half of what was left in his vault. It was almost six hundred gallons, six hundred still there.  
Harry decided that once everyone was awake and got their own letter that everyone would come to Diagon Alley to join him, so he was off to get birthday and head boy and girl presents first. He bought Ron quidditch supplies; his own moving model of the field, a magical whistle that only team mates could hear, new cuddle cannons practice robes and bag of one hundred chocolate frogs. Harry bought Hermione "So you want to know everything?" wizarding almanac, a pair of diamond earrings that change colors to match your outfit and a new collar for Crockshanks. Neville would get a Herbology set to take care of his plants and Ginny... she was more trouble to shop for. He ended up buying her a heart necklace that changed colors like Hermione's earrings. He walked out of the magical jewelry shop with his ears bright pink.  
He checked him money pouch, he had more than enough for supplies and to have during school. He sat down and ordered an Ice cream as Hermione Ron ran to him, their faces bright red and smiling widely.  
"Congratulations Hermione," Harry said when she opened her mouth and nothing came out.  
"I... but... but...." Hermione stuttered.  
"Everyone knew you would be Head Girl," Harry said, patting her hand and looking at Ron with a grin. He wasn't supposed to know.  
"HARRY!" Ginny came running at him and threw her arms around him, "Ron and Hermione got Head Boy and Girl! Ron hasn't said a word all morning!" She smiled at her brother and then back at Harry, "Mum's mad that you left, she kept saying something could have happened to you."  
"Four more ice creams," Harry shouted as the three of them and Neville sat down.  
"I have some stuff for you all," Harry said grinning.  
"Is that why you came early?" Hermione asked, calming down slowly.  
He pasted out everyone's presents and watch as Ron got even more excited. "This is for all the birthday's I've missed and for you two becoming Head Boy and Girl."  
He breathed deeply once Hermione didn't say anything about how he knew Ron got Head Boy, but she looked at him with suspicion.  
"Harry, how could you, with all this mess going on? Leave and not tell anyone? Five more ice creams." Mrs. Weasley said.  
Sirius, Susan, Draco, Miley and Mrs. Weasley all joined in for the early afternoon ice cream party.  
Harry escorted the rest to get their books, finding it amusing that they only need their last spell book, year seven. Ron kept himself back away, knowing that the torn school book laid waiting for him at home.  
"Are you alright Ron?" Hermione asked.  
Ron blushed, nodded and hurried down the now crowd path to the robe store. He, like Harry, had grown and needed new robes.  
Draco, Hermione and Harry all got measured while Ron waited with his second robes watching. "I don't think I've gone a year without new robes..." Draco said smartly.  
"Do your old robes fit?" Sirius splat.  
"Well, yes they do, I did all my growing when I was sixteen."  
"Then don't get any new ones, your mother didn't leave you much money and I'm sure you'll want some change for Hogwarts and after Hogwarts for your start."  
Draco's eyes widened and Ron grinned. No more of Draco calling him poor. Hermione giggled and skip off to collect her three new Gryffindor robes.  
"Harry..." Ginny whispered.  
"Yeah," he answered off handedly, ignoring the silence in her voice.  
She was unspoken for a moment then opened her mouth to a new sentence. "Hermione has a secret... she wanted me to tell you."  
"What kind of secret?"  
"You can't tell Ron..." Ginny warned. "She doesn't want him to know."  
"What is it Gin?" Harry pressed.  
"Hermione and...." Ginny shut up. There was a loud yell from out side and both of them ran from the small shop.  
"Hermione, what did you do?" Ginny asked.  
"I... I didn't do anything..." she was flushed red.  
"This... this is too much... first Ginny and Harry and now... Hermione and... Herm..."  
His voice softened as he looked at Hermione, his eyes dried red. He looked at Harry and lowered his head. "What happened Ron?" Harry asked softly.  
"It doesn't matter... It just doesn't matter." Ron sighed.  
"Ron, let's go back... to the house."  
Sirius and Molly were exiting with all their robes bundled down.  
"MRS. WEASLEY," Harry yelp, thinking up a plan. "Can I take all those back to the house, Ron doesn't feel good and I was going to go back with him."  
"Ron honey..." Mrs. Weasley started.  
"I think it's more than that Molly, go on Harry." Sirius said, handing him his bundle.  
Harry disapparated soon after Ron.  
"Done with our fun shopping day are we Harry Potter?" Kreacher asked gleefully taking the robes and bags from Harry and Ron fiercely. Kreacher was just cleaning when he heard a pop and found Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley standing here at home. Can I get you anything?"  
"No Kreacher." Harry said, side glancing at Ron moving unevenly in his shoes. "Is anyone else home?"  
"Oh yes sir, someone always here. Today workers are down stairs in the Order working... they kicked me out. Mistress Angelica Sirius says that Kreacher is misunderstood and that when ever someone heard my feelings to clean... and that is what Kreacher is doing. Cleaning, cleaning, cleaning; Kreacher was just cleaning when he heard a pop and found Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley standing here at home. Can I get you anything?" Kreacher repeated flashing a yellow toothed smile.  
"Um, no Kreacher, just leave us alone right now..." Harry said kindly.  
"Yes sir Harry Potter, I will make yous some tea when ever you are finished with whatever Kreacher can not witness." Kreacher smiled again and vanished.  
They sat down on the stairs, Ron a few down from Harry. Neither said anything for a moment.  
"What happened Ron?" Harry asked with caution.  
"Nothing... and then everything at once." He sighed.  
"I don't get it."  
"Ginny always had a crush on you and sure she's dated a few guys but she finally got you... you two are well... kinda... you know." Ron stumbled over his ill-placed words. "Then Hermione had Krum... and Malfoy had all his Slytherin bim-bo's... but... I'm just so screwed up right now."  
"Ron, is Draco and Hermione like Ginny and me?" Harry said, understanding.  
"Yeah," Ron breathed sadly. "I don't know how we missed it but I walk out of the shop and the were huddled together and Malfoy was whispering something to her and he kissed her cheek and she blushed like she enjoyed it and then she saw me and looked at me with those eyes and... I felt betrayed in the worse way. Like it should be okay for Malfoy and Hermione to be together, Malfoy good now I guess and it's not like Hermione and I are well... kinda... you know. But at the same time it hurts that my best friend is falling for my enemy and that she should have asked me... us what we thought but then again it's her life and it's her choice and it just... hurts." Ron gasped for air.  
"Ron..." Harry said after his long silence, "You like Hermione don't you?"  
"Is it that obvious?" Ron sighed burying his head in his hands.  
"Yeah, it kinda is." Harry said patting his friend on the back. "How long?"  
"Forever I guess. I don't know when it started. Every time Hermione smarts off and acts better than me I realize how out of my league she is... and I just want to push her away from me, just put my unreachable away. Then again she dazes me with her wit and smarts and I just feel like... everything that my life that is missing is within her... like everything wrong with me and everything that hurts in me she somehow makes up for and corrects and fixes."  
"Ron..." Harry started.  
"Harry, don't tell anyone, please. Not Ginny or Hermione or anyone... no one... please. You're my best friend and I need to work all shit out for myself."  
"Ron, I'm sorry about what I said." Harry said, nodding. "About Hermione not wanting to snog you or anything, I was just mad I guess."  
"I found you in your weakness, I understand. You felt kinda naked didn't you, like I was seeing everything you every thought and felt... like I was their to observe you."  
"I always feel like that thought, that's my life." Harry sighed.  
"Well, that's how I feel now."  
"Ron, let's go get that tea... in a month we will be on the Hogwarts express on our back to Hogwarts and everything, somehow will work out... you'll be Head Boy and Quidditch Captain. If Hermione can't see how great of a friend and a guy and a person you are then she deserve to waste her time with the slime ball that always called her a Mud... you know." Harry said, leading his friend to the kitchen.  
"You know what Potter, you are a hero. I believe that... that your dad WOULD be proud of the person you are." 


	18. Last Trip Home

Chapter 18

Last Trip Home

"Hurry up, let's get moving!" Mrs. Weasley screamed.

"Hermione, where are you?" Ron whined. He was had been shy and edgy around her the rest of August, but Hermione absent was clear, Miley and Ginny were already looking for her.

"Ron," she said softly, "I here."

Ron opened the closet under the stairs and she sitting there, her hair smoothed straight and pulled into a pony tail. She was sitting on an up side down bucket, her head resting on her hands.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" Ron asked.

Harry stopped on the steps and listened. It was eerie.

"This is our last year... this is the last time we will be hurrying around the house trying to catch the train, the last time I'll be going to school." Hermione sniffed. "It's going to be the best year Ron, it is."

Ron nodded then smiled, as though Hermione was his best friend again, not his crush, "It won't be if we don't catch the train." Hermione whipped her eyes and took Ron's hands. Ron pulled her up and stared at her for a moment.

"Hermione," Draco called coming down the stairs. Harry gritted his teeth and tripped him.

"HEY POTTER!"

"Draco," Hermione pulled away from Ron and skipped off to him.

"Damnit," Ron hissed. He picked up Hermione trunk and called Crockshanks to follow.

"The cars are here," Seri called.

"Okay, Ginny, Miley... come on!"

"Ron come on... we'll go together." Harry nudged Ron. "But I have Hermione's trunk."

"I'll take it," Seri said softly. She unloaded Ron of the trunk. "I'll tell them you're going by yourselves." She turned to Harry, "I'm going to miss you Harry, and you are a real good friend. Charlie and I are getting married over Christmas break... could you... and you too Ron, come back here for Christmas and the wedding?"

"Do you have to ask?" Harry groaned, ending it in a smile.

"You ole punk!" Seri giggled. "Love you and have a good year."

"Is Mark in the car?" Harry asked quickly.

"Yes, now go... and be careful."

"Come on, we'll be there early this for once."

Ron chuckled and they disappeared together.

"WOW, you too are here early." Dean Thomas came toward them. "Joe just dropped me off early... he had work this morning."

"Who's Joe?" Harry asked, following Dean to his compartment, which was empty.

"My step dad." He said shortly. "Where is Hermione and Ginny?"

"Oh, we apparated... Hermione isn't old enough and Draco didn't want to leave her."

"Wait, you mean Malfoy... what is he doing with you all. And he hates Hermione. What happened to Krum?"

Ron molded himself into a corner.

"After his dad went to prison and stuff, his mum disowned him so he came with us. Every since then him and Hermione have been flirting... is very... odd." Harry said.

"I always thought it would be Hermione and Ron." Dean chuckled and slapped his knee. "How they fought and crap, you could tell they wanted to grab the other and kiss 'em. But I guess Malfoy and Hermione where the same way."

"Yea... naw, Hermione and I are just friends." Ron muttered.

"You don't act like it." Dean laughed. "So, who got Head Boy, we all know Hermione got Head Girl."

"Ron did," Harry answered proudly.

"I always thought it would be you. I heard your mum and dad were Head Boy and Girl, and your dad was quidditch captain." Dean said, pointing out all the areas that James Potter had excelled above him.

"Yea," Harry said, nodding, "I guess that worked for my dad, but not for me. I rather just play Quidditch and I rather wiggle out of trouble then having to put people into trouble."

Harry grabbed Ron's neck affectionately and shook him. "No more sneaking around with you mate."

"Where do the Head Boy and Girl sleep? I know Percy was Head Boy and he never slept in the Gryffindor house, he just popped in to see if Fred and George where behaving."

Ron never thought of that and his eyes got big.

"Is this box saved?" Ginny asked, staring at Harry. Harry gulped and shook his head.

Ginny sat down next to Harry. "Hi Dean," she said softly.

"Hey Ginny," Dean said back.

"What ever happened with you two?" Harry asked.

"Oh, he dumped me because I didn't want to go see him during the summer. Sorry Dean," Ginny giggled.

"Ah, no sweat. Ron would have killed if we went out any longer." Dean chuckled.

"Where's Hermione and Draco?" he asked Ginny.

"Miley and Draco went to sit with the Slytherins, explained that it would seem curious if they didn't. And Susan is with her friends. We have to keep out connection down low now, a lot of Death Eaters kids are running around you know." Ginny explained. "Neville was helping Hermione carry her trunk to the Head Compartment and Ron you need to go now."

"Harry, walk me down there." Ron said, grabbing his trunk and Pig.

They got up in silence and continued down the hall. "I can't be in the compartment by myself... with her. What will I say, what will I do? What if she starts talking about Malfoy. I can't take it."

"This is Hermione, you've known her forever."

"Yet, I've never known what to do." Ron sighed.

"Ron, there you are, I was about to come get you." Hermione skipped out of the compartment. "We have work to do, a lot to organize and stuff. Sorry Harry, you can't come in."

"I know, I was just talking to Ron," see you later, I'm going to go find Mark and..."

"HARRY!!" Mark squealed he jumped on Harry's back. "I thought I'd never find you."

"Hey Mark, bye guys." Harry walked back to Dean's compartment with Mark on his shoulders.

"Tell Adam that you did save me, he won't believe me."

"I didn't say that," Adam hissed. "You are so stupid Mark."

"Shut up!" Mark squealed.

Neville, Luna, Ginny, Dean, Harry, Mark, and Adam where all crammed into one happy compartment. Seamus stopped by with his Hufflepuff girlfriend to say hello and the Harry bought everyone treats from the trolley.

Darkness came over the sky and Neville fell asleep against the window, Luna on Harry's right shoulder, Mark and Adam on each other and Dean got so bored with everyone sleeping he got up to go jinx the Head compartment so Ron and Hermione would have pink hair.

"Harry," Ginny whispered, slowly falling asleep on his other shoulder, "Thank you," she yawned.

"For what?" Harry whispered back.

"For the necklace... thank you. I love..." Ginny twitched slightly and nudged into Harry's neck. "you."

Harry looked in shock at her and grinned. He rested his head on top of hers and closed his eyes.

"Guy..." Ron shouted banging on the door. "Harry what in the hell is going on here? You have two girls now?"

Harry blinked his eyes and looked over Ginny's head. He could have kicked himself... he slept on his way back to Hogwarts... his last train trip home and he slept. He heaved a sigh and nudged both Ginny and Luna (who was drooling on his shirt.)

"We haven't changed." Ginny yawned.

Harry waved his wand and made two curtains. "We won't catch an early coach anyway."

"Boys next compartment," Ron ordered.

"Ron, we have a curtain... and all we need to do is change my jeans." Ginny whined.

"You all have hormones and I know how they work... boy next compartment, now!" Ron snapped.

"Ron, honestly, like I would do that to Ginny and Luna." Harry said, rolling his eyes.

"What you don't want to look at us?" Luna said, buttoning up her shirt over her white "Quibbler" tank top.

"Look, Ron," Ginny said stepping out of the curtain. "I'm done changing and nobody tried to sneak and peak. God, you treat us like children."

"I'm not done changing though!" Harry grunted. "Not fair!" He laughed throwing a sock at her.

"Oh, like I didn't wash those boxers last night. Get dressed Potter." Ginny threw the sock back and walked out with Ron trailing behind her giving her a evil look.

"Not bad," Luna said peeking over the curtain. "I'd wash your boxers."

"GET OUT!" Adam screamed.

Luna looked bugged eye at the second year and jolted out of the compartment.

The castle looked the same. It was dark out and the full moon left a looming glow over the lake. "Look how clear it is." Luna said, dropping back to walk with Harry.

"Yeah, you can almost see every star." Harry replied, not looking at her, but looking up.

"My favorite is Sirius," Luna said. "Isn't that you godfather's name."

"Yes, Luna... my godfather is Sirius Black." Harry stressed trying to recount how many times she asked what his godfather's name was... but not having enough fingers or toes.

"Now that you say it... I do remember you saying something about it." Luna nodded. She twisted her hair into her finger tip and finally brushed it off her shoulder. "Where did Ron and Ginny go?"

"Luna, Harry... over here!" Hermione jumped up above the crowd.

"What happened?" Harry said, rushing over to her. A large crowd had formed a rung around them, and it was a fight to get both him and Luna to the middle. "Ginny..." Harry gasped, falling to his knees beside Ron. Ginny was lying in his lap. He face was pale white and her eyes dry and nearly red.

"I see them..." she whispered.

"I see them too Ginny, so does Hermione... it's okay." Ron smoothed, with Harry's help, raising her to her feet and supporting her.

"But they died... and I didn't see them at the end of last year... I didn't."

"I think... what it is... you have to except and realize what happened. Seeing both your brothers die must have had a huge, unreal imprint on you. You didn't really want to accept it." Luna said softly.

Harry looked at Luna in surprise... that's the first sane thing he ever heard her say.

Ron struggled to lift his sister and carry her to the carriage. "I got her," Harry took her from Ron's arms and let her rest her head on his shoulder.

"Come on Ron, let's go." Hermione took his arm led him to follow Harry.

"Harry, you know last year when I said I wish I could see them," Ron said, blushing

"Yeah, what about it?"

"I take it back, they're ugly."

This made Ginny grin even though her face was pale.

"We should take her to the hospital wing," Hermione said once in the carriage. Luna fell behind in the carriage following with Neville, Adam and Mark, somehow, Harry felt Mark was safe with Luna.

"We can't," Ron whined, "We have to be in the Great Hall, we're Heads."

"But this is Ginny... Dumbledore will understand." Hermione argued.

"I can take her, you two don't need to miss anything." Harry nearly yelled, beating down the up coming argument.

"Thanks mate, Ginny would probably want you to go with her anyway." Ron snickered, raising an eyebrow.

"What is that suppose to mean?" Hermione snapped.

"Well, because Ginny and Harry fancy each other." Ron said, blankly.

"So, doesn't mean she needs Harry to survive, he's just a nice tag-a-long." Hermione said strongly.

"What is wrong with you?" Ron asked, narrowing his eyes as though he never saw Hermione in his life.

"Girl are independent, it's the men who are dependent." Hermione crossed her arms.

"Guess what," Ron barked, cocking his head, "I don't need anyone... not you or any other girl. If ever I get a girl friend it will be simple for my pleasure, not of need!"

"Ronald, you talk as if girls are toys!"

Ron looked at her slyly, "We can play with them can't we?"

"I hope Draco doesn't think like you," Hermione whined.

"Every guy does."

The carriage stopped and Hermione jumped out and ran to Draco, not caring about what he said about the "being the friendly" thing. Draco gently pushed her away and said they could talk later. She nodded childishly and let the Slytherin crowd mold around her and walk away.

"What was that about mate?" Harry asked, gently lifting Ginny from the carriage.

"She thinks Draco needs her that what she's going at. But did you see that? She just stood there and let Draco push by her." His voice softened. "I would have held her and told her everything was okay. Then take her walking with me and let h r talk then... not later."

"You're better for Hermione," Ginny whispered through blue lips.

"Shhh, hush... its okay..." Harry smoothed.

"I can't believe I have to room with her, what if her and Draco get...occupied..." Ron look to the ground his face mixed with sadness and sickness.

Harry proceeded past Ron and up the stairs. "Where are you going? What did you do to her Potter?" Argus Finch snapped.

"She fainted, the Head Girl told me to take her to the hospital wing."

Smug with his new friendship with authority, Harry walked past and stern faced Mr. Finch.

"Madam Pomfrey," Harry called into the ward.

"I'm coming, just stocking up the... oh, hello Potter. Back already? I should add you to my Christmas card list by how much I see you." She pointed to the bed and gathers a tray.

Harry lied Ginny down on the bed, letting her prop up on some pillows.

"And you Ms. Weasley, I'm familiar with you too." Poppy said during her work.

"Head aches you say," Madam Pomfrey repeated Ginny's whisper for Harry to hear. "Doctor hasn't a clue what's causing them? Well, drink this and then you should be alright for the feast. I will inform Headmaster about this. If their isn't an illness, it may be dark magic. Lord knows you have been around it enough for that to be a reason."

Ginny drained the cup and winkled her nose. "Taste awful!" She nearly screamed, her voice back to hear volume.

"I make medicine potions, not one for you tasting, though it might help those squirming first years that their flue potion."

Harry walked back with Ginny to the Great Hall. They had missed the sorting, Harry could tell by the new faces staring at him in childish round smiles.

"Well back to a new year." Dumbledore announced, almost as though he was waiting to see Harry before he began. Ginny and Harry stole the seats Neville and Ron had saved for them. "I do have some..." Dumbledore rolled his hands over one another as though nervous, "Important news for everyone, but why trouble an empty stomach. Eat and enjoy." He clapped his boney hands and the golden plates filled with all the glorious food of a Hogwarts feast.

"You feeling alright Ginny?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, Madam Pomfrey gave me some medicine. She said my head aches might be caused by Dark Magic... she would have to talk to Dumbledore about it."

Ron dropped the chicken leg in his hand and stared at Ginny. "Dark Magic, on my little sister! No, that's can't be it."

"Oh Ron, it could have something to do with Bill and Percy... some kind of emotion curse." Dean Thomas said through a mouthful of corn pudding. "Dumbledore could fix her up in two seconds."

Harry nodded, wanting to believe Dean and wanting Ron to calm down.

"Have you figured out where you and Ron are staying this year Hermione?" Neville hissed after he swallowed his carrot stew.

"Yes, Professor Flamel told us when we arrived. We are staying in a two person dorm somewhere between Gryffindor Tower and Dumbledore's office." Ron answered for Hermione who was looking up at the Great Hall ceiling, missing her mouth with her fork. "Hermione, are you alright?"

"Yeah, sure... I'm fine." She said, wiping the mash potatoes away from her face.

"If your sure mate," Ron breathed, diving into desert.

"Why are you calling me mate?" Hermione asked.

Harry breathed deeply recognizing a fight coming on.

"Because... you are a mate...you're my friend."

"Is that all I am to you?" Hermione nearly screamed.

"What else do you freaking want to be Hermione? What else?" Ron screamed.

Hermione turned red, like she just realized something. She kept her head bowed and food away the rest of the meal.

Harry looked up at Dumbledore silently thanking him with eyes for stopping the fight from going any further. He stood and cleared the table with a clap of the hands. "Now that we are finished eat I have some announcements to make. It is my duty to tell you all that going near the forbidden forest is forbidden. Mr. Finch has made a new list of objects not allowed in the hall way between classes. I would also like to introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Professor Black is getting married year to the Minister second son. Our new teacher is one of my oldest..." Ron and Harry looked at each other in amusement. "friend. May I introduce Professor Nicolas Flamel." The hall gave an applause. "It is also my duty to tell you the truth, which sometimes, as human do, I fail to do. This is my last year at Hogwarts. Next year Professor McGonagall will be Head Mistress."

Hermione looked up from her stupor and Harry dropped his jaw. "But Professor!" He shouted.

"It is this old coot has seen enough years go by at Hogwarts as a student, a teacher and as a head master. I believe I have done all I can do here and it is time to let Hogwarts grow but you can't do that with an old traditional coot." Dumbledore said. Everyone, even the first years look depressed.

"We have to do something about this." Hermione whispered.

Ron didn't say a word, just nodded. They stood and left the table together, off on their first Hogwart's mission.

Harry, not ready for the uneasy, dorm room empty of Ron, he went for a walk, leaving Ginny staring after him. His hands dug deep into his pockets and decided a nice; moonlight walk was exactly what he needed. He pushed his way through the crowd and out of the large front door, the barrier between and life he always loved falling apart and peaceful outskirts where everything going wrong seemed like a twisting plot that you somehow knew would work out. Dumbledore would somehow decide Hogwarts need him after all and stay till his dying day, Lily and James would pop back into Harry's life laughing on how the fooled everyone and went on a long vacation... how Seri wouldn't have to have that pain behind her eyes and Bill and Percy would be seating at the Borrow with the rest of the Weasleys. In some sick way Harry's life was a story... but he doubted it had a happy ending.

Not watching his feet, he ended up walking into the Hagrid's front door.

""ello?" Hagrid grunted. "I just got in, not fit for visitors."

Not know why he was there, Harry messed with his hair, "It's Harry... I just... I don't know."

Hagrid didn't answer, but blew open the door. "Come in, I'm sorry, should have known it was you." Hagrid pulled Harry in and began to fix a cup of tea.

"How have you been?" Harry sighed.

"Alright, alright. Been in the forest most of the time. Dumbledore been helping me build Grawp a hut in the woods and trying to make peace with centaurs. Some have understood, but other are just plain dumb. What about you?"

"Alright I guess. Got my apparition license, Hermione and Draco Malfoy is a thing, Ron fancies Hermione, Seri is marring Charlie, Ron and Hermione are heads and won't be in the Gryffindor Tower, Ron is Quidditch Captian and Dumbledore is quitting."

" Wow, Harry, seems like you have a lot on your plate. Let's digest this." Hagrid set the cups of tea down and took his seat."

"Congratulation on your apparition license, that's a big deal." Hagrid said simple, as though following a list. "Hermione and Draco seem very odd, I always thought they hated each other, but I new Ron like Hermione, he let it slip one time. I bet its hell for him." Hagrid gave sigh. As for Seri, I knew it was coming and I bet Sirius is shitting a brick over the marriage."

"I haven't talked to him about it." Harry whispered, sipping his tea.

"On to important matters." Hagrid huffed, making the black dog sleeping at his feet shake. "I think you're jealous of Ron."

"I can't help it..." Harry whimpered.

"I understand... he is everything you never had and you are everything he ever wanted. He doesn't understand it really, he just knows your famous and have no one to fight attention for." Hagrid said sadly.

"I hate being me! Dad was Quidditch Captain, and Head Boy... I gave them up for Ron."

"How did you give them up?"

"Katie told me that I was voted Captain, but I voted for Ron so I over ruled. And Dumbledore asked me to be Head Boy."

"Bloody hell, Harry?!?" Hagrid huffed, spitting out his tea. "You did that for Ron?" Harry looked at his tea and nodded. "Why?"

"Because when we were in our first year, Ron stood in front of that mirror and saw himself being head boy, and quidditch captain... and while I was screaming at myself to do that and be head boy... there was this eleven year old voice telling me how much Ron wanted everything I was about to get." Harry sighed again.

"You are braver than I thought. There are not many people like you in this world." Hagrid grinned through his bread. "Have you told Ron?"

"NO!" Harry jumped. "He'll tell me I'll lying and it wouldn't be fair, telling him didn't earn all that stuff... when I believe he did..."

"Well, Harry... you've gotta understand what Ron's life is like. I mean, your not the only one who is been denied things. He is fighting to find out who he is. He's always been someone's younger brother or your mate. No one has ever really recognized him as himself." Hagrid explain.

Harry nodded, draining his tea. "I better go." Harry said after the silence.

"Night Harry, see you around." Hagrid said, rising with Harry. "It's kinda lonely now without everyone in my class." He added as Harry left.

The next morning Harry awoke to Neville breathing heavily over his bed. "We have classes today," he yawned as he threw his chubby arm behind him in a stretch.  
Harry, half edger to see Ron since supper and half dreading starting his final year rolled on of bed bringing the ruby sheet with him. Seamus, at the fall, shot up out of his slumber. "Go away you blasted screwt!"  
Dean chuckled as he threw his bed curtains open. "Thanks for the compliment Seamus!"   
Seamus, realizing what he must have done got dressed quickly and ran down to breakfast.  
Neville was already dress, but he waited one Dean and Harry.  
"What classes do you think we'll have this year?" Neville asked as they entered the Great Hall.  
"Same as last year I suppose." Harry answered groggily, feeling to lazy to search for Ron.  
"And what is up with this Famel guy?" Seamus said, "He looks on his death bed."  
"Well," Harry started, "He should be... he's pretty old... forgot how old though."  
"Ninety?" Neville inquired.   
Harry chuckled, sitting down and just picking up the plate of eggs and eating it. "No, I'd say around four hundred something." And then Harry grinned at their awed, jaw-dropping look.  
"SCHEDULES!" Ron hollered laying a stack in front of them.  
"Ron," Harry shouted, excitement mounting in him. He missed Ron, for some reason, Hogwarts wasn't Hogwarts without him there all the time. "Sit down and have a bite."  
Ron looked at him longing for a moment then moved down to the group of second year biting their nails as he laid down the stacks on parchment. He looked tiered. "Can't mate, I have to get this down and help Professor Famel before class starts."   
"You need to eat something," Dean said on cue as Ron stomach gave a roar.  
"I already have... at three this morning." Ron gave a nervous sigh and moved further down the table.  
"Guess we won't see much of Ron." Neville said, stealing some of Harry's eggs.  
Dean nodded, but Harry, coming down to breakfast with a full appetite now felt sick and heart broken. He couldn't eat anymore... Ron was too busy for him... Dumbledore was leaving, what else could happen?  
Ten minutes before their first class, the three boys decided they better figure out where they were going. Harry read over his schedule.   
  
Monday  
-Potions 10am  
-Transfiguration 4pm  
Tuesday   
-Charms 8am  
-Defense Against the Dark Arts 10 am  
Wednesday   
-Private 10 am  
-Potions 4pm  
Thursday  
-Transfiguration 10am  
-Charms 2pm  
-Defense Against the Dark Arts 4pm  
Friday   
-Charms 8am  
-Private 10am  
-Transfiguration 4pm  
  
"Harry," Neville said softly peering over his shoulder. "What are those private classes?"  
Harry gulped looking at Dean and Neville look at him in question. "They are for... these... things." He stuttered.  
"What things?" Dean pressed.  
"Isn't it obvious," Neville said, cutting off Harry silent words. "It has something to do with Voldemort." He lowered his voice as he spoke.  
"Naw," Dean said, after giving it a thought. "Come on Harry, tell us what they're for? Is Dumbledore secretly training you to be the youngest Head Master when he leaves? Or does he want you to take Wealsey's spot as Minister, what is it?"  
Harry, trying not to laugh at Dean's logic and imagination shook his head. "No, Neville was right. But I can't tell you... I promised I wouldn't give details." Neville nodded and Dean just sat there as though his imaginary pride was left visibly broken. What Harry said was half true; Dumbledore wouldn't want Harry telling random people about what they were doing but part of Harry thought he should trust Neville... but he didn't want him to know that Voldemort could get in him thoughts and partly control him without these classes. No, Harry reassured himself, not telling Dean and Neville about the classes was a wise thing to do.  
The three of them left silently for a quick nap before their first class in two hours.  
Harry loaded up his Potions books and ingredients and left Neville and Dean in their search for Neville's toad. He felt a tugging at his heart, nothing seemed to be going his way this year. He know somehow that he was reaching the end, but of what he didn't know. It was stronger now that Seri and Ron and Hermione weren't close, before he just figured it was the miss he knew he would feel once he left Hogwarts for good, but now, alone without comfort he realized it was more, much more.  
Walking aimlessly down the corridor, lost in his thoughts he ran into one of the most unlikely people. Their books feel from the collision and paper sprayed all over the deserted hall. "Potter, do u need another eye where that scar is?"  
Harry lifted his eyes not surprised to see Draco Malfoy. "Sorry, wasn't paying attention." Harry replied offhandedly, collecting his paper and cramming them back into his Potion's book.  
Draco's eye softened as he peered ahead watching the backs of Goyle and Crabbe turn the corner. "Lugs," he hissed.  
Harry followed his gazed a chuckled. "They barely have enough brain to think much less to care."  
Draco cracked a half warming smile. "I wish it were different though," he sighed. "Ron and Hermione would have helped you, and yelled at me to top it off."  
"Yeah well, at least Crabbe and Goyel have time for you." Harry said, becoming stricken by his need for his friends.  
"Yeah, I can see that," Draco said, trying to be comforting. "I just wish I had friends like that, like you even."  
Harry smirked, knowing how much Draco was hitting himself inside. "You know you don't have to have friend like us, you could be friends with us. Besides, if you like Hermione so much, isn't she worth a little bit of a change?"  
Draco lost his comforting eyes and they turned cold gray. "I wasted enough of my time Potter," He snatched his things and left knocking Harry's things back out of his hands.

Walking in the Potions room was like entering a freezer, one that sucked any kind of warmth from your face. No on was there, so Harry took the liberty of stealing the best seat in the place, the seats in the back. He set up his cauldron and placed the ingredients neatly in front of him. He then opened his book and flipped though reading the chapter summaries just incase Snape was feeling curl and wanted stupid answers that only a Hermione could answer on the first day, or any day for that matter.

"What are you doing here so early Potter?" Snape hissed, beginning to write the lesson on the dirt chalk board.

"Sorry, Professor, I'll leave if I'm bothering you," Harry whispered just loud enough for Snape to here him.

He stopped a moment, as though considering it, but said nothing more. "Professor, may I ask you something?"

"If it has to do with Potions, yes."

Harry flipped the page in his book, forgetting to question all together and ignoring Snape sighs and scratched on the board. Slowly, as the time for the bell to ring grew closer, sluggish seventh year filed in. Hermione, running in very late grabbed a seat in the front, where Ron has taken moments before. Draco hissed in front of Harry, eying Ron with loath and hate.

Neville, looking untidy and displeased with not sitting with Hermione, looked through is book quickly, trying to avoid embarrassing himself at least the first day.

"Class," Snape snarled, on time with the bell. "Welcome to your last year on Potions and indeed the most difficult. We will be preparing Potions that are illegal under any other circumstance, we will be dealing with deadly chemicals and ingredients that if you are not quick or smart enough" his cold eyes moved to Neville's white washed face as a grin snaked across his face, "they can result in death. Today though, as I'm sure none of you have read or can remember anything from last year, we will be reviewing one of the harder potions from last year, hopefully helping you decide with you should continue on in his area of profession. But..." The class groaned, "let's see if any one has read their book." Hermione straighten up edger to answer their first question.

"What is the deadly power of a Florence Nightingale?"

'I know this one,' Harry thought, raising his hand quickly, even before Hermione.

Snape glared over Hermione, regaining the sense of ignoring her. His eyes passed Harry and then doubled back. "Mr. Potter, have you finally done something in this class? Well, tell us the answer."

"They contain a fume the can cloud the mind and cause you to do things you sometimes think about like killing someone... and if you get too much fume, it will cause you to die." Harry read off almost in text book form.

"Try again Mr. Potter?" Snape said, his eyes nearly dancing in something Harry didn't know was happiness or cruelty. "How should you use flubber worm waste?"

"You should always take care not to mix it with salt or it will expand thus causing the potion to bubble up on the cauldron. It wouldn't be so bad yet flubber worm waste is called for in some of the more dangerous potions."

Snape nodded, not finding an inch on praise in his veins to give Harry. "Turn to page 119 and start the potion on the board. I want a sample of it on my desk before the bell rings. You should have just enough time."

Harry carried the potion he and Neville made to the front. He winked at Hermione and Ron who were walking vigorously to finish. "Done early Mr. Potter?" Snape hissed.

"Yes sir," Harry muttered.

"Did you give it enough to time stir and bubble?"

"Yes sir."

"Did you wait till it turn from pink to green?"

"Yes."

"Yes sir!"

"Yes sir," Harry repeated for him.

"Meeting me in my office after class," Snape snapped turning back to his work.

Harry walked back to help Neville, who seemed more confident, clean up their mess. The bell rang and everyone left in a hurry.

"What did you do?" Ron asked sheepishly.

"I don't know," Harry replied as though Ron was a random person asking. He was mad at Ron, he didn't know why, but he was, he felt he should be.

He entered Snape's office. "Yes professor?"

"Good job today."

"Thank you Professor," Harry answered in shock.

"Keep it up, and don't worry about Granger and Weasley, as the year gets in a roll, they'll have more time." Harry nodded, "Dumbledore told me what you did, for Ron I mean." Snape said, his voice becoming less familiar as it softened. "That's very braver, braver than your father would have ever done." Harry only nodded again.

Snape shut his book, "What did you want to ask me?"

Harry sighed; remembering that Snape could read his mind and the question just came back to him. He messed with his hair, which seemed to not phase Snape as it did before, "You hated my dad, and you're not very fond of me... so coming from you it would mean more... I just wanted to know if..."

"Yea Harry," Snape interrupted. "Your father would be very proud of you."


	19. Falling Like Flies

Chapter Nineteen

Falling Like Flies

The absent seemed to make the room even colder. Harry went to sleep with his Weasley sweater on. He fell into a fitful sleep one that even though his was cold, he woke in a sweat.

His breath came hard to him as he tried to focus without his glass. Grabbing for them he knocked over the water jug sending it to its shattering death.

"HARRY!" Neville shooting, half a croak. "What's wrong?"

"I need... I need..." But what Harry needed wasn't clear, he didn't even no. He wanted Ron, he needed Dumbledore, Seri, Sirius... his parents.

Everything went to a blur. Seamus ran to get McGonagall, Dean handed Harry a glass of water as Neville talked to Harry softly, trying to calm him down. "What do you need Harry? You need an owl or something from your trunk?"

Harry eyed him his breathing not getting any slower. What he saw, what he heard... why didn't he ever listen to anyone? Clear your mind before you go to sleep! Geeze Harry! But what is what he saw you true... what if... oh God!

"Harry, I can get you what you need." Neville pushed, wanting more than anything to help.

"Mirror..." Harry chocked, "Get mirror... from trunk."

Neville leaped into action as he threw open Harry's trunk. He dug past a shoe box and finally found the hand mirror, wrapped in brown parchment. "Here."

Harry took a deep breath, "Padfoot," he mumbled and the mirror shown and the glass disappeared.

"What did you see Harry?" Neville asked.

"I need Sirius. I need Seri." He needed Ron staring at him through the darkness to help him. But Ron wasn't there, Sirius wasn't there, Seri wasn't there, his dad wasn't there, his mom wasn't there. In deepest depression and sheering scar, he fainted in the darkness, just as a gaunt faced Sirius began to appear in the mirror.

He awoke a time later, this time not in a cold sweat. The hospital wing was cool and comfortable. Ron and Hermione had fallen asleep in a lounge chair next his bed, Hermione sleeping on Ron's shoulder. If the images and sound of his dream were not clouding his mind, he would have pee in his pants with glee the Hermione and Ron were finally growing close... but he felt as they grew closer together, they grew further from him. He put on his glasses and stood, stretching. His scar was unruffled and his thoughts straight. He remembered what he heard, what he saw... and they didn't phase him now, he had to be strong, he had to have him life in order.

He crept out of the wing and down the clammy corridor's. He entered the Potion's dungeon and knocked on Snape's office. "What?" he grumbled, stumbling to the door. "Potter, you know what time it is?"

"Professor, I know it's late... or perhaps early, I don't know the time but I was just making sure you were going to teach me Occlumency this year."

"You want me to?" Snape said, in disbelief.

"I had another dream professor, nothing to do with Voldemort, just with my future... I don't want to have those dreams any more; I don't want to have these images in my head while I'm trying to enjoy my last year here. I want to make them go away... and I want you to help."

"Alright Potter, that's the thirst I want. I'll talk to Dumbledore about it, he was going to teach you, but I will this year." Snape went to close the door, but then looked Harry up and down. "Go back to the hospital wing, Hermione and Ron will be waking soon."

Harry obeyed, swimming in thought as he walked back down the chilly hall ways barefoot. Those voices, he knew them... they spoke so softly, like a child's lullaby singing him to sleep. Then the voice change. He saw his family, people he loved die before his eyes, and that voice chanting. "They drop like flies... they drop like flies. One by one everyone you love, everyone you ever knew will all drop like flies. You're parents fell first and now your friends and the rest of the family... they will drop like flies. It's the beginning of the end now Potter... everything will happen on my terms, they will drop like flies and the more you try to save them the more flies fall. They drop like flies, they drop like flies."

Images of Ron and Hermione meeting a bloody end, thoughts of Seri and Sirius fading behind a curtain Harry couldn't open... he stood alone in a room of blue... cold and sweating... that couldn't be his future... he had a future... and he was going to live his life without these fruitless prophecies till his future ended.

He reentered to hospital wing to find Hermione and Ron still sleeping. He clambered into bed and sat there staring at the blank wall in front of him. He watch as a single fly flew about the air, finally meeting the open window and disappearing into the night.

"Harry you really scared us," Hermione told him as she walked between Harry and Ron. They were heading to Hermione and Ron's dorm. "McGonagall had Seamus come get us... Ron ran like a bat out of hell."

Ron turned a little pink, but did nothing. Harry patted his back, understanding the Ron must miss him too. "Do you all like being alone?" Harry asked, nudging Ron so Hermione couldn't tell.

"It's nice a quiet, easier to concentrate also," Hermione said, "But we do miss you Harry, and Ginny and Neville. It's not the same."

"Do you have to stay in the dorm?" Harry asked.

"We asked Dumbledore that," Ron answered, "He just smiled and said he advised us to stay put. I hope he changes his mind though... after last night I mean."

Harry looked at him, daring him to say it, but Ron stopped. Harry read his mind, the small part of Ron eager to keep silent, "I wish I was there Harry, I wish I could have been there for you."

"What did you dream?" Hermione asked, turning the corner.

"Just a bunch of bad stuff, people dying, the same oh same oh."

"But you looked different," Ron said slowly. "You're eye looked strained and you weren't pale white. You were ever cold but sweating like it was July!"

Harry was holding back to information, from himself and them. He shrugged and Ron looked over it. Harry didn't want to tell them... it was his own voice saying these people will die... his own voice.

"Home sweet home," Hermione said pointed to a larger statue of iron Harry always looked past. "Mockingbird" the statue came to life and stepped aside, taking off his iron head and putting it over his chest as he bowed. "We named him Tom." Hermione said off handily, passing him and entering a brightly lighten room. The tapestries were thick and deep, the furniture crisp and clean.

"What do you think?" Ron asked, the caboose of the group.

"It's cozy and it is quiet... but..." Harry smirked. "I don't like it."

Hermione giggled walking to the door on the left of the room.

"Can't go in there." Ron said, grabbing Harry's arm as Harry tried to follow. "That's the girl's dorm and his a guy trying to enter it..." Ron looked down and grimaced, "bad things happen... Dumbledore told me."

Harry went a bright shade of green.

"Only joking mate," Ron said, chuckling and following Hermione.

The room was a deep shade of purple with rich oak furnishings. Hermione had her own book shelf with every school book and extra curricular book she could ever need, including a book for the futures of Head Girls and how they did it.

"We have classes this morning." Hermione said, rifling though her trunk looking for her robes. "This year has been a mess; it's going to get messier."

Ron and Harry nudged each other and nodded. "Just how we like it."

The morning was sluggish; eight o'clock charms then off to ten o'clock Defense Against the Dark Arts. Flamel, as much as Harry hoped he would be a instant hit, drug out notes just like a living Binns, which as Harry thought about it, that's what he was... a man living WAY past his expiration date.

With ten minutes left in the class, and Flamel finding no weakening in his droning Harry found himself just writing, what he didn't know. First he wrote that the Unforgivable Curses where illegal after a muggle raid in the 1790's then he wrote something that both puzzled and scared him. He lowered his quill, forgetting about Flamel's notes and stared at it. "The Prewetts are next." Prewetts, he thought, Hagrid told him seven years ago the Prewetts was an entire family Voldemort and his follower whipped out. What did that mean the Prewetts are next? Maybe Harry was going crazy from all this writing.

There was a shout from Flamel's office and a screech owl came barreling in the classroom window at the bell rang. Flamel sprang to his office and the owl landed in front of Ron. The three of them stared at it, Draco lining behind them pretending to have dropped his book. "Open it," Hermione choked.

Ron looked at her and nodded. He took the letter and let the owl fly back out the window into the morning. He tore it open and read it silently as Draco, Harry and Hermione watched eagerly. Ron dropped both his mouth and the letter.

"Ron," Flamel appeared back in the classroom. "Come on son, we're going to Dumbledore's office." Ron, nodded leaving his books and papers behind. Hermione and Harry dare not follow, the look on Ron's face was pale, his freckles invisible now.

The door closed and the silent chilled the classroom once again.

"What does it say?" Draco asked.

"I don't think I want to know," Hermione said, still staring at the closed door as though wishing Ron would come back through.

"Read it," Harry ordered, looking at Hermione sadly.

Draco picked up the letter and cleared his voice, "Son, You need to go to Dumbledore's office right away. You're sister will be there soon and you both are to come to London. Your mother..." Draco paused turning equally white, "your mother has been killed. Bring who ever you want to come, but please hurry, I would hate the Daily Prophet to find you before I do. – dad."

Harry collapsed onto the table, trying his hardest not to weep. His eyes were begging him too, but he held them well. Hermione rested her head on Harry shoulder, freely crying. "How could this have happened?"

"We have to go," Draco said at once. Shoving the letter in Ron's book and picking up both his and Ron's stuff. "We have to hurry up and get to Dumbledore's office before they leave. Ron needs you two."

Harry forced himself up and found Hermione uncontrollably crying near his face. "Come on Hermione," he whispered. "He's right, Ron needs us, and Ginny needs us. We have to go now." Hermione didn't remove her head from Harry's should so Harry heaved up Hermione weight and carried her out the door after Draco.

When they entered Dumbledore's office Ginny, Ron and Charlie were already there, sitting close together, all silently weeping dry tears. Draco dropped all their books on the floor and stepped back to the wall of the room. "I knew you would be he soon Harry." Dumbledore whispered. "I assume you've heard the news?"

"Yes Professor," Harry said.

"I would ask you three to stay here, Ginny and Ron will leave Hogwarts just for the time they need to recover and then be home, this is not a time to take you away from safety Harry."

"I would like to be there sir," Harry objected.

"No, you stay here; it is barely even safe for Ron and Ginny to leave."

"Fine then, may I walk them to the train?" Harry asked, nearly begging.

"Yes, you may." Dumbledore finally allowed. "Charlie, it's time to go."

He nodded and led the way, only Draco staying behind in Dumbledore's office.

"What happened?" Harry asked softly.

"Please, not now." Ginny whispered, laying her head on Harry' shoulder. He draped an arm around her shoulders and nodded.

"When will you be back?" Hermione asked.

"In a day or two." Charlie answered stiffly.

"Why can't we go?"

"Because she was murdered Harry! Right outside the Order! The damn blasted dark mark is still hovering over the place, muggles are suspicious and the muggle police found her before we did! It's going so well Harry and you are the very last person we need lurking around places we can't control." Charlie nearly yelled. Ron sniffed and bowed his head lower. "Harry, Hermione, you can't go any further. Go back to Dumbledore and he'll explain. We need to meet dad here soon."

Hermione nodded and planted a kiss on Ron check, he didn't blush. Harry hugged Ginny tightly to him whispering he'd miss her quickly. The three walked quickly to Hogsmead leaving Hermione and Harry looking on after them.

"What do u think happened?" Hermione asked, shivering under Harry's arm.

"I don't know? Maybe they were trying to get to Mr. Weasley by getting his wife..."

"Or to you by getting the only think close to a mother you had." Hermione added.

His heart sank, maybe it was that, maybe Voldemort was pin pointing everyone Harry ever cared about and one by one he would kill them... dropping like flies... He shivered uncontrollable.

"You had a dream about this didn't you?" Hermione said softly.

"Not about her dying, but about... someone said that everyone I ever cared about and everyone I every knew would die."

"Who do you think the voice was?" Hermione questioned, noting the fear behind Harry's eyes as though he almost let something slip.

"It wasn't Voldemort, I know his voice. It was someone else's." Harry bowed his head and Hermione was silent the rest of the way t the castle.

Draco met them at the door. "You missed lunch." He said, taking Hermione from Harry and escorting her himself under his arm. "Dumbledore said the elves had fixed us a lunch in the kitchen, come on."

Some what thankful Draco was there, Harry followed the couple into the dimly lit corridor. All that swam in his thoughts were of Mrs. Weasley. How she treated him, how she feared his death, how she truly was the mother he never had. What scared him more though was the heart wrenching feeling... this is far from the end of the deaths.


	20. Tested

Chapter Twenty

Tested

"Harry!" Ron and Ginny entered the great early the next Monday morning. Harry rose at the sound of his name and grinned at seeing the both of them. They sat down and piled on their food as Harry stared at them, edger to rememorize their faces once again.

"Are you alright?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, we're fine. It was dreadful being locked up in that house and everyone quit talking whenever your entered the room. It was like they were talking about us and how awful we must feel without even asking us how we did feel." Ginny said, shoving another helping of eggs onto her plate.

"Ron?" Harry asked.

Ron put down his fork and looked at Harry. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it instead. He turned his head and began to eat again. Harry nodded understanding Ron must be dealing with it pretty poorly… heck he would too if his parents died. Harry froze realizing his thoughts and stooped into a stooper just like Ron, eating and saying nothing.

"How were classes?" Hermione asked, sitting in the back of Potions beside Ron, Neville with Harry. Neville had stuck to Harry all week, amazed by how effortlessly he was learning and improving this year from last… Harry was amazed at himself.

"Fine, Snape's private lesson went alright. Passed out once, but he said he could tell I was practicing." Harry shrugged.

"I think it would be frightful to have a private lesson with Snape," Neville whispered, eyeing the professor with loath. "He's already so mean and arrogant; it' d be hard to spent time alone with him."

Harry shrugged, not going to blow Snape's cover of actually being decent for once.

"Class, follow the instruction and get started on the potion. When you finish bring a vial of it to the front and clean up. If you do not finish within an hour and a half you will fail this potion." Snape turned the board over to reveal that day's lesson. The class, in a scurry got to work. "I'll be handing out your grades from last class."

Harry's was the first handed back. Off-handedly not worried about and not expecting too much handed the parchment to Neville and began to chop the gilly-weed into tiny square pieces. "H…Ha…Harreeee." Neville moaned his hands shaking.

"What?" Harry asked, not looking up.

"We…we… got the… the highest grade in the class." Neville put the parchment in Harry's face. In writing that reminded Harry of oozing blood, he read, "Congratulations both of you. I have found great improvement in your work. Outstanding! (only ones that high.)"

Harry looked shocked but grinned. "Good job Neville, see, you're improving."

"Naw, it's all you." Neville chuckled, starting the measure the temperature of the potion.

"Did we have anything in Dark Art?" Ron asked softly.

The three of them sat in the library, catching Ron up on work he missed. Hermione outlines the charms and Harry made note of Potions for him.

"No, just notes." Hermione said, grabbing her bag to search for them. "Shoot, I don't have mine. Harry, could Ron copy yours."

"Yeah, hang on." Harry opened his Defense Against the Dark Arts book and handed Ron the four pages of notes. "Have fun," he jested trying to get Ron to smile. His efforts failed. Ron just frown more so and began to copy.

"Harry…" Ron stuttered moments later. "Is this some kind of sick joke?!?" As he spoke his word became stronger and his voice louder.

"What are your talking about?" Harry asked, watching the strain of Ron's eyes increase.

"That's what you git!" Ron yelled, slamming the parchment down in front of Harry and pointing to a line. Harry followed his finger and read, "The Prewetts are next."

"Oh, that." Harry said, turning red.

"Yes, God damnit that!" Ron screamed.

"SHHH!" Madam Prince yelled over him. Ron glared at her and turned back to Harry.

"You think you're so funny, rubbing it in my face that my mum died! Well… well your mum's dead to you little jerk!" Ron reached for words he didn't know.

"Ron!" Hermione gasped. "Stop it, Harry did no such thing."

"Oh he didn't did he?" Ron snapped. "Look was he wrote!" He moved the paper in front of Hermione and left her to read the line.

"The Prewetts are next?" She read in question, "but Ron, what does that mean?"

Ron folded his hand through his hair and glared at Harry. "My mum was a Prewett!"

Harry went numb. "Oh geeze Ron… I had no idea. Hagrid told me about the Prewett Family when I was eleven. Said they were a real good family, but Voldemort whipped them out just like my family." Ron said nothing, just glared. "I had no idea your mum was a Prewett, I thought they all had died."

"Then how did you write it?" Ron asked, calming down.

Harry heaved a sigh, "I was kinda out of it I guess, writing those notes down. I guess my mind escaped me for a moment. I don't know, but I looked down and that's what I had written. I didn't know what it meant or anything. Write after that your owl came and class ended. It just didn't cross my mind again."

"Harry," Hermione started. "What if it was like one of your dreams? Maybe Voldemort was writing that and you started day dreaming so you wrote it too." Ron shivered.

"That's creepy," Harry said, watching Ron. "Ron, I had no idea. I'm sorry."

Ron said nothing, neither did he push the blush from his cheeks.

"What did the voice say in your dream?" Hermione ask Harry.

Harry looked down, not noticing Ginny's tear stained face coming closer. "I kept chanting… they will drop like flies, everyone you love, everyone you ever met will drop like flies."

There was silence for a moment before there was a shrill hic-cup. They jumped to see Ginny standing there.

"Excuse me," she blushed. "Harry, this note came for you. I found Hedwig circling the Gryffindor Towel." She handed the note to him.

Harry took it and opened it.

"Did you like my trick Potter? Were your amused on how I lured that fat Prewett out of her safety zone? Just remember to never put anything past me. I can make people do what I want, even without magic. They're not even safe at Hogwarts… no one is safe anywhere… and you can't always save the day."

Harry choked and handed the note to Ron. Hermione and Ginny leaned over his should to read.

"We have to show it to Dumbledore!" Hermione squealed.

"What can he do about it?" Ginny whispered.

"Who's they? In the note…'They're not even safe at Hogwarts.' Who's they?" Ron asked.

Harry breathed. "You are… you, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, all of you guys. Not so much fun to be my friend now is it?"

Ginny hugged Ron's shoulders as she gave a shutter. "Harry, we've faced him with you before… nothing is going to happen to us. This snake faced Voldemort figure is not going to scare us away." Ginny said softly, staring deep into Harry's eyes.

Harry nodded and muttered quiet thanks under his breath, staring right back at Ginny.

Harry felt the weight upon his shoulders, holding the world on his back. He left the study group and skipped dinner. It was the second week of school and he could tell nothing was going to be good this year, the bitter sweet arrival of the leaving train, even through months away, was already taking his heart away from his home. He needed something that no one, not even he could give. He needed something and he didn't know what it was.

September passed like molasses, it seeped through day after day making Harry hope for a stop, the end of it all! October seeming opposite, breezed by. The trees changed to their majestic autumn paint and then were naked for the in coming winter. Quidditch practice caught hold someone in the calendar and every moment Ron and Harry weren't studying and Hermione (sometimes Draco) they were on the field, drilling harder than Wood every thought of training, but no one knew that for Harry was the sole survival of the "Wood" days. The team was Ron, Harry, Ginny, Talker, Jack Sloper, Andrew Kirke which left one spot open where the Katie Bell was. They had try out after try outs, but no one was good enough, well not good enough for Ron anyway. So the days counting down till the Slytherin Gryffindor game was narrowing sharply.

"Please Ron." Ginny pleaded, dismounting her hand-me-down broom.

"Ginny, we need the best; we are going to win that Cup!" Ron urged.

"We just need a bamboo that will stay on the broom, we're good Ron." Talker said hovering above Ginny's head. He was spitting image of Oliver, but Jason was a mischievous, fast grin and bright blue eyes that, surprising, could say more than his mouth.

"Ron's the captain; let him do what he wants. But come on mate, if we don't get someone soon, no matter how good they are, we are going to stink of the stadium against Slytherin." Harry said calmly.

"Fine, one last try out, and I swear I will choose SOMEONE this time. As head boy I'm making it mandatory that every Gryffindor come try out." Ron seemed frustrated.

Ron kept his word, or for the most part he did. The whole lot of Gryffindor Tower was outside on the Quidditch Pitch early Saturday morning. Harry had to secret give gratitude to Hermione for this. She fought long and hard with Ron not to make her try out, so instead she put together, with the help of a few dozen house elves, a Gryffindor Breakfast Party. Madam Hooch was there and passed out school brooms to younger years and the crowd of which had not a broom of their own.

"I told you everyone would come?" Ron said a mouth full of cinnamon bread.

"Yeah, you sure did." Talker said, rolling his eyes.

"How about we do Seventh years and then on down? That keeps it fair. I mean, everyone else has next year and stuff for their chance." Ginny chimed in. Mounting her broom and breezing easily away. Harry's eyes followed her, grasping the gentle dance of her autumn hair in the wind.

"Sounds good." Talker said. He took his wand, tapped his throat and boomed.

"ALL SEVENTH YEAR WANNA BE QUIDDITCH LENGDENS PLEASE FIND YOURS ON A BROOM IN THE AIR WITHIN 5 MINUTES. YOUR TRY OUTS WILL START SOON. SIXTH YEARS, BE FINDING A BROOM, YOUR NEXT." Talker tapped his throat yet and again and grinned at Ginny, shaking her head softly in the air.

At call Seamus, Neville (shaking nervously) Dean, Lavender and Patil rose into the air.

"You all know how this works right?" Ron asked tossing the qualffle up in the air and catching it with one hand.

"Yes Ron," Lavender heaved a great sigh, "you've only made us come to the last ten try-outs."

Ron dropped his smile and flew to his posts. "Brown first."

Lavender, with a relax, victorious (that she shut Ron up) smile, she flew to position and caught the Qualffle Ron had thrown at her.

"Ten shots." Ron huffed.

Harry flew to Ginny's lingering side as he watched. "I think Ron is just having these try out so he can practice." Ginny hissed.

Harry chuckled and watched Ron stop ten consecutive shots. Lavender, frustrated with the continual of her shut out, met the ground with ease and moved to Hermione's side. Silently Harry watched Patil and Neville take their ten shots. He breathed in Ginny's smell and inched closer to her.

"I think Ron really wants Dean." Ginny said breaking the silence and then moving edge slowly away. "He smiled every time he blocks Dean's shots which must mean their good shots."

Seamus took his nine shots and missed horribly. Finally he threw the qualffle so hard it bounced off a ring and fell to the ground. Dean took his shots, surprising getting three in, a Gryffindor Try-Out record.

Talker called for the sixth years, then the fifth, then the fourth and the thirds. Ginny and Harry hovered close by the goals with Talker evaluating Ron's reactions and their fellow Gryffindor shots.

"I still say that Colin's kid has a lot of heart. He just needs a LOT of work." Talker chuckled.

Colin Creevy was on the ground, grasping his broom and staring at Harry in a wide smile. "I would have figured he would have ground out of the 'crush' by now Harry. Sixteen, I didn't even stay obsessed with you that long." Ginny giggled.

Harry blushed and hung on her words, "I didn't even stay obsessed with you that long." Did that mean everything the past couple weeks meant nothing?

Finally, Talker called for the second years and five scrawny boys, (a flaming red headed Mark among them) and five nervous looking girls rose into the air.

Mark hung on the out side with Adam and a cute little blond girl with the latest style broom, the Lighting Bolt, which Harry had heard from long night of Ron's sleep talking, was another company rip off of the Firebolt… the only differences where the names and the Lighting Bolt came in the color of your choice; in this girl's case, a metallic pink.

The girl went and did fair, nearly tying Dean's record. Adam screw around throwing them over his shoulder and between his legs. He met the ground with a fit of laughter on his face and the dying Gryffindor crowd.

Lastly Mark flew into position. Ron tossed him the ball and he caught it with difficultly.

"Oh dear, this doesn't look good." Ginny whispered, "Poor Mark."

Mark gulped and Harry gripped his broom tighter, crossing his fingers. Mark looked at Ron, pleading for directions or instructions, Ron only gripped his broom and stared. Mark gulped again and wheeled back his arm. He threw the dang Qualffle like a fast pitched baseball.

The ball was heading straight for Ron but when Ron went to snatch it from the air it curved and zoomed through the left goal post.

Ginny gasped, "He threw a freaking American style curve ball!" She giggled and hit her broom gleefully.

"Come on Mark," Harry yelled, a smile cutting his face. 'Please do that again Mark.'

And he did. Actually, Mark Evans did it nine more times.

"Can you believe it?" Mark squealed coming into the Great Hall. It was nearly lunch time. "Ten times, I scored ten times!"

"I know, great job Mark." Ginny said sweetly.

"Where's Ron?" Harry asked.

"Oh, I saw him in the locker room. He's taking a nice cold shower." Talker said an evil grin on his face.

Harry chuckled and messed with his cousin's hair. "Way to kill Ron's confidence!" he said sarcastically. "Let him block some next time."

Mark gave an innocent grin and bowed his head, "Oops," he mumbled.

Tuesday morning everyone was excited about the strange old Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. His face held year, but his eye youth. There was a certain my there was a mysterious laughter on his chapped lips and a shaking stimulate in his voice. Harry took his seat by Ron as Hermione disappear behind them with Draco. Draco was slowly becoming confident in himself. He would be the last on to class and proclaim sitting by Hermione was the only seat he could find, but his lies didn't hold up for long. Gryffindor noticed his quick smile to Hermione as the Slytherin's noticed the lack of "mud blood" in his vocabulary.

Professor Flamel walked into the class briskly and rambled on the next half an hour about how decision making and logic was one of he most important magic in defending yourself, and those qualities very many lacked. As an assignment he gave a ten inch essay on the topic. Harry, to involved in a conversation with Ron, who after the Mark slaughter he underwent, was excited about the new season.

"I want these done by Thursday! Potter, Weasley… did you hear me?"

"Yes sir," they recited in unison, not really knowing exactly what they were to do.

Flamel gave a childish grin and nodded. The bell rang and yet again, Draco spilled his bag and him and Hermione stayed behind cleaning up.

"Dean," Ron yelled.

"Yup?"

"What is our homework?"

Dean laughed and handed them his parchment. In clean printed form Ron read aloud, "Your friend is a wand point and you can either choose to let them die, insisted on being killed instead or risk both your lives in pursuit of a happy ending?"

Harry froze at his still words. He looked back at Flamel who was busing himself with grading last week tests. Harry narrowed his eyes and found hatred lurking behind them. Why was everyone asking the same question? And why after seventeen year was he still at the beginning of finding out that answer?

The night Harry was restless. Ron was moping about and Hermione was engulfed in her responsibility and homework. Harry spent his time, hidden behind his curtains writing and rewriting the beginning of essay. Once he even started it out with, "You dying old crack headed fool, why in the hell did you have to ask this flee bitten question?" But he set flame to that one, hoping Dean and Neville never saw the small scorch on his sheet.

Thursday came and by then Harry had just given up. Flamel looked at the blank roll Harry turned in with his name and the question at the top. He nodded solemnly and threw it in the trash. Harry saw the big red "F" already in his mind. He suddenly regretted it; he needed this grade to become part of the ministry. He tried to relax with the old cliché, "Famous Harry Potter," Mr. Weasley and anyone else would be mad to refuse Famous Harry Potter. Yet now he felt like a failure, and it wasn't just the "F" stamped on his Defense Against the Dark Arts class.


End file.
